The multi-disciplinary Babine Watershed Change Program (1973) was initiated in 1971-1972 by the Department of the Environment to assess effects of environmental change on Babine salmon and trout production. The program includes paleolimnological studies to see if any changes in lake trophic state, or areal differences in historic plankton production are evident in the kind and distribution of diatom microfossils and chemical composition of bottom sediments. This manuscript reports on selected chemical parameters of recent sediments. The distribution and abundance of microfossils will be reported separately.