Regions: North Slave Region
Tags: winter road, transportation, infrastructure
Principal Investigator: | Couture, Richard (9) |
Licence Number: | 13225 |
Organization: | EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd |
Licensed Year(s): |
2001
|
Issued: | Jul 16, 2001 |
Project Team: | Hagen Hohndorf, First Nations field assistant (to be named) |
Objective(s): The Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter road is a vital transportation link for the delivery of bulk consumables and equipment to mines and exploration activities in the Slave Geologic Province. The current Licence of Occupation for the winter road expires in April 2003 and requires renewal. To ensure the ongoing operation of the road, the Winter Road Joint Venture (JV), which manages the road, is presently completing preparation of a Project Description Report and associated land use and water licence applications to meet regulatory needs. The Project Description Report identifies a number of subject areas where existing field baseline information is limited or insufficient for effective project planning and future environmental management of forecast traffic load increases and other proposed changes. EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. (EBA) has been requested to prepare the following workplan to address the key information deficiencies needed to support effective planning, assessment and implementation of proposed changes to the winter road.
Project Description: The following provides a brief outline of the aquatic resources program proposed to be undertaken during the summer of 2001. A northern First Nations field assistant will assist the Fisheries Biologist with the implementation of the field portion of the work. The proposed aquatic resource studies will be conducted during July 2001 and will constitute a reconnaissance level survey. The program will consist of the following elements: (1) the evaluation of fish species presence/absence/relative abundance (methods: electrofishing, beach seining and/or minnow trapping); (2) the measurement of fish biological parameters (lengths, weights, sex, life phase); (3) the evaluation of fish habitat parameters within 50 metres on either side of the crossing; and (4) the collection of water samples for analysis of ambient water quality (physical parameters, anions, ions, nutrients, hydrocarbons and metals). In order to mitigate possible fish mortalities resulting from fish handling, established professional protocols and procedures will be strictly adhered to.