NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: physical sciences, environmental impact, fish habitat, infrastructure planning, archaeology

Objective(s): To complete a Fish Habitat Assessment and an Archaeological Assessment for the proposed Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway.

Project Description: A Fish Habitat Assessment and an Archaeological Assessment are required for the proposed Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. A Fish Habitat Assessment and an Archaeological Impact Assessment Report will be developed with data obtained from the proposed highway corridor during fall 2011. IMG-Golder Corp. is proposing to carry out a fish habitat and archaeological assessment program along the highway on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Transportation (DoT). Fish Habitat Assessment work will include the identification of areas that potentially support fish resources such as migration, spawning and juvenile fish rearing areas. Most potentially impacted watercourses will be assessed by walking along the shoreline, only minor water bodies (possibly seasonal in nature) will be assessed through aerial photographs taken from the helicopter. Habitat will be characterized (e.g., channel widths, water velocity, bed material, in-situ water chemistry etc.). Shoreline characteristics, such as substrate type, vegetation, and gradient, will be recorded and photos will be taken of representative or particular features. No electrofishing will be required. An overview of the potential fish habitat present in the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway corridor will be recorded and referenced with GPS locations. The information will be transferred to Geographic Information System (GIS) to complete detailed maps of the area. An Archaeological Class 2 Permit will be obtained from the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) to carry out reconnaissance and assessment studies. Archaeological Assessment work will include the identification of areas with moderate to high potential for artifacts. This will involve interviews with PWNHC staff regarding existing desktop studies that may contain archaeological information of the area. A field assessment will be conducted of areas of high and moderate archaeological potential and extended areas around known and potential archaeological sites along the proposed highway alignment and identified Alternatives 1 and 3. Potential impacts to archaeological resources will be identified. Since PWNHC archaeologists have already reviewed the project, time spent on reconnaissance level studies for this work will be minimized. Focus will be placed directly on the Archaeological Assessment of the proposed highway. Two Inuvialuit Wildlife Monitors will be hired for the duration of the fish habitat and archaeological assessments carried out in the field. Wildlife Monitors will be given the opportunity to learn various surveying and sampling techniques. Project work will be conducted by an Inuvialuit environmental consulting company, IMG-Golder Corp. A one page summary of all project activities will be submitted to the Hunters and Trappers Committees (HTCs) of Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. The HTCs may distribute those summaries as appropriate. Additionally, a summary of project work will be uploaded to the ARI website. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from Augst 30, 2011 to October 7, 2011.