Synthesis Report No. 1 Impacts of Flow Regulation on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Peace

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Synthesis Report No. 1 Impacts of Flow Regulation on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Peace Impact of Flow Regulation on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Peace and Slave Rivers Synthesis Report Canada /llbota Northern River Basins Study ERRATUM No. 1 - January 16,1997 Northern River Basins Study Synthesis Report No. 1 Impact of Flow Regulation on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Peace and Slave Rivers Amendments (shown in bold and italics) identified by author were not incorporated into the document submitted to the publisher. The Study Office regrets any inconvenience this may create for the reader. I. Section - 3.2.3 Results, Page 56, INSERT: This raises the ecological concern, as earlier expressed by the Peace-Athabasca Delta Implementation Committee (1987), that the weirs have eliminated critical, seasonal drawdowns in water levels that produce unique near-shore vegetation/habitat and waterfowl staging zones. II. Page 114 - Figure 3.38 Replace figure with "upgraded" figure attached to this erratum. III. Section - 4.8.1 Primary Recommendations, Page 143, DELETE & INSERT: [ 1 ] "Naturalized " Flow Modelling Evaluating the effects of regulation on the overall flow regime is hampered by the brevity of the pre-regulation period data set. One method to extend the "un-regulated" period is to model flow conditions since regulation without the effect of the dam. Such a model has been under development by Alberta Environment in conjunction with British Columbia Hydro. It was originally hoped to incorporate the results of this model into some of the NRBS studies but at the completion of this synthesis report, the modelling results remain in draft form and not yet available to scientists attempting to evaluate ecosystem impacts resulting from flow regulation. It is recommended, therefore, that a priority be placed by Alberta Environmental Protection and B.C. Hydro on finalizing this work, and releasing it to the public and scientific communities through official publications so that it can be used in related impact studies. Based on the normalized data set, a re-evaluation should also be made of the summary flow statistics presented in this report. Integral to this evaluation, should be an assessment of the significance of hydro-climatic variations in affecting he post-regulation flow characteristics. IV. Section - Literature Cited: Page 150 - AMEND: Andres, D.D., 1995. The effects of flow regulation on freeze-up regime of the Peace River, Taylor to the Slave River. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 122 (in press). Page 153 - AMEND: Courtney, R.F., C. Wrightson and G. Farrington, 1995. A pilot study of the use of remote sensing to analyse fish habitat on the Peace River, July to October, 1994. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 81 (in press). 40\ERRATUM.H1 1 of 2 Page 154 - AMEND: Donald, D.B. and H.L. Craig, 1995. Mercury in the Peace, Athabasca, and Slave River Basins. Environment Canada, Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 105, 55 pp. English, M.C., M.A. Stone, B. Hill, P.M. Wolfe and R. Ormson, 1995. Assessment of impacts of Peace River impoundment at Hudson Hope, British Columbia on the Slave River Delta, NWT. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 74 (in press). Page 160 - INSERT: McCauley, Edward., 1996. A review and evaluation of water quality and quantity models used by the Northern River Basins Study. Northern Rivers Basins Study Report Technical Report No. 82 (in press). Page 161 - DELETE: Northern River Basins Study, 1996c. Technical Report no.. 47, (food chain), Fish distribution, movement and gross pathology information for the Northern Rivers in Alberta (in progress). Page 160 - INSERT: Mill, T., P. Sparrow-Clarke and R.S.Brown, 1996. Fish Distribution, Movement and Gross External Pathology Information for the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River Basins. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 147 (in press). Page 163 - AMEND: Prowse, T.D., Conly, M. and Lalonde, V. 1996b. Hydrometeorological conditions controlling ice- jam floods, Peace River near the Peace-Athabasca Delta. Northern Rivers Basins Study Technical Report No. 103, 66 pp. + Appendices. Page 166 - AMEND: Walder, G.L., 1996. Proceedings of the Northern River Basins Study instream flow needs workshop, October 14 - 15, 1993 and January 6 - 7, 1994. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 66 (in progress). Page 168 - DELETE: Wrona, F. et al, 1996. Northern River Basins Study, draft report (in progress). 40\ERRATUM.H1 2 of 2 Figure 3.38 Plant assemblage changes for cleavage bar islands, (afer English et al., 1995). (1) Old Steamboat Channel (2) Mid-Channel West (4) East Channel (3) ResDelta Channel F lg .6 .8 : Fig.(>.7: Slave River D elta, ResDelta Channel: Cleavage Bar Island, Plant Slave River Delta, East Channel: Cleavage Bar Island, Plant Assemblage Change Assemblage Change Area (hectares) 67 66 114 GB 1399.9 .C2 P9691996 Impacts of flow regulation on the aquatic ecosystem of the Peace and Slave ~ ' DM I E DUE BRODART Cal. No 23-221 VW2000 2 , h>Ho£57;S NORTHERN RIVER BASINS STUDY SYNTHESIS REPORT NO. 1 IMPACTS OF FLOW REGULATION ON THE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM OF THE PEACE AND SLAVE RIVERS by T.D. Prowse Leader, Hydrology/Hydraulics Component Northern River Basins Study, and National Hydrology Research Institute Environment Canada and M. Conly National Hydrology Research Institute Environment Canada Other Author and Contributors: B. MacLock, Other River Uses Component Leader Northern River Basins Study and B. Aitken F. Hicks R. Sapach D. Andres B. Hill M.A. Stone R. Chabaylo R. Keller G. Styranko X. Chen N. McLoughlin G. Walder M. Church M. North P.M. Wolfe M.C. English R. Ormson N.Yasmin M. Hey Published by the Northern River Basins Study Edmonton, Alberta May, 1996 ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY FEB 0 1 200? LIBRARY | CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA Prowse, Terry Donald, 1952- Impacts of flow regulation on the aquatic ecosystem of the Peace and Slave Rivers (Northern River Basins Study synthesis report, ISSN 1205-1616; no 1) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-662-24697-7 Cat. no R71-49/4-1E 1. Peace River (B.C. and Alta.) - Regulation-Environmental aspects 2. Slave River (Alta and N.W.T.) - Regulation-Environmental aspects 3. Environmental impact analysis - Peace River (B.C. and Alta.) 4. Environmental impact analysis - Slave River (B.C. andN.W.T.) I. Conly, M (Malcolm) II. Northern River Basins Study (Canada) III. Title IV. Series BG1399.9C3156 1996 333.91’14’0971231 C96-980244-7 If you would like: - additional copies of this report, or - other information regarding the Northern River Basins Study please contact: Alberta Environmental Protection Information Centre 9920 - 108 Street Edmonton, Alberta __ T5K 2M4 Telephone (403) 422-2079 Fax (403) 427-4407 Copyright © 1996 by the Northern River Basins Study. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce all or any portion of this publication provided the reproduction includes a proper acknowledgement of the Study and a proper credit to the authors. The reproduction must be presented within its proper context and must not be used for profit. The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS i LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF TABLES \ x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi 1.0 ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF FLOW REGULATION OF LARGE NORTHERN RIVERS 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 CANADIAN DIVERSIONS AND MODIFIED FLOW REGIMES 2 1.3 REGULATION EFFECTS ON RIVER-ICE REGIME 4 1.4 REGULATION EFFECTS ON SEDIMENT REGIME 5 1.5 REGULATION EFFECTS ON DOWNSTREAM WATER CHEMISTRY 7 1.5.1 Organics/Nutrients 7 1.5.2 Mercury 8 1.5.3 Temperature 9 1.5.4 Oxygen 9 1.6 REGULATION EFFECTS ON DOWNSTREAM RIVER ECOLOGY 10 1.6.1 Hydro-ecological Theory of Large Rivers 10 1.6.2 Plankton 13 1.6.3 Periphyton and Macrophytes 14 1.6.4 Macroinvertebrates 14 1.6.5 Fish 15 1.6.6 Riparian Ecosystems 17 2.0 BIOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PEACE AND SLAVE RIVERS 2.1 INTRODUCTION 19 2.2 BASIN LOCATIONS 19 l 2.3 GEOLOGIC AND GEOMORPHIC CHARACTERISTICS 22 2.3.1 Upper Peace River 22 2.3.2 Middle Peace River 23 2.3.3 Lower Peace River 24 2.3.4 Peace-Athabasca Delta 24 2.3.5 Slave River 25 2.3.6 Slave River Delta 25 2.4 CLIMATE 28 2.5 ECOZONES 31 2.5.1 River Riparian Environments 32 2.5.2 Peace-Athabasca Delta 32 2.5.3 Slave River Delta 33 2.6 HYDROLOGY 35 2.6.1 Peace River System 35 2.6.2 Peace-Athabasca Delta 35 2.6.3 Slave River 36 2.7 WATER QUALITY 40 2.7.1 Peace River System 40 2.7.2 Slave River System 40 2.8 FISHERIES 40 2.9 WILDLIFE 41 2.9.1 Deltaic Mammals 41 2.9.2 Non-Deltaic Mammals 42 2.9.3 Birds 42 3.0 AQUATIC IMPACTS OF FLOW REGULATION ON THE PEACE-SLAVE RIVER SYSTEM: SCIENTIFIC REVIEWS AND STUDY RESULTS 3.1 FLOW REGULATION OF THE RIVER MAIN STEM 45 3.1.1 Mean-Annual Flows 46 3.1.2 Annual Peak Flows 46 3.1.3 Seasonal Contrasts in Flows 47 3.1.4 Flow Duration 48 3.1.5 Significance of Tributary Flow 49 u 3.2 FLOW REGULATION OF THE PEACE-ATHABASCA DELTA 56 3.2.1 Regulation of Water Levels by Rockfill Weirs 56 3.2.2 Modelling of Regulation Effect of Weirs 56 3.2.3 Results 57 3.2.4 Summary Discussion 57 3.3 HYDRAULIC FLOOD ROUTING MODEL 61 3.4 REGULATION EFFECTS ON THE ICE REGIME 63 3.4.1 Changes to Freeze-up Conditions 63 3.4.2 Changes to the Winter Ice Season 65 3.4.3 Changes to Flooding of the Lower Peace River 67 3.4.3.1 Open Water Flood Peaks 67 3.4.3.2 Ice-induced Backwater Peaks 68 3.4.3.3 Summary of Flood Peaks 68 3.4.3.4 Break-up Flooding-Hydrometeorological Characteristics 69 3.4.3.5 Resistance to Break-up; Temporal Trends in Pre-Break-up Ice Thickness 69 3.4.3.6 Resistance Factors: Temporal Trends in Pre-break-up Ice Melt and
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