Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project Physical Environment
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MANITOBA-MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT Biophysical Technical Data Reports 1.4 Fish and Fish Habitat Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project: Fish and Fish Habitat – Technical Data Report FINAL REPORT Prepared for: Manitoba Hydro 360 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3C 0G8 Prepared by: Stantec Consulting Ltd. 500-311 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 2B9 111420050 September 2015 Sign-off Sheet This document entitled Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project: Fish and Fish Habitat – Technical Data Report was prepared by Stantec Consulting Ltd. (“Stantec”) for the account of Manitoba Hydro (the “Client”). Any reliance on this document by any third party is strictly prohibited. The material in it reflects Stantec’s professional judgment in light of the scope, schedule and other limitations stated in the document and in the contract between Stantec and the Client. The opinions in the document are based on conditions and information existing at the time the document was published and do not take into account any subsequent changes. In preparing the document, Stantec did not verify information supplied to it by others. Any use which a third party makes of this document is the responsibility of such third party. Such third party agrees that Stantec shall not be responsible for costs or damages of any kind, if any, suffered by it or any other third party as a result of decisions made or actions taken based on this document. Prepared by (signature) Lisa Peters, Ph.D. Reviewed by (signature) Vince Palace, Ph.D. MANITOBA-MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT: FISH AND FISH HABITAT – TECHNICAL DATA REPORT Table of Contents ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... IV GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS.......................................................................................... VII 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1.1 1.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 1.1 1.1.1 Project Overview ......................................................................................... 1.1 1.1.2 Project Area ................................................................................................. 1.1 1.1.3 Spatial Boundaries ....................................................................................... 1.6 1.2 PURPOSE .......................................................................................................................... 1.7 2.0 METHODS .....................................................................................................................2.1 2.1 REVIEW OF EXISTING DATA SOURCES .......................................................................... 2.1 2.2 FIELD STUDIES .................................................................................................................. 2.5 2.2.1 Objectives..................................................................................................... 2.6 2.2.2 Methods ........................................................................................................ 2.6 2.3 OTHER DATA ................................................................................................................... 2.9 2.3.1 Traditional Land and Resource Use .......................................................... 2.9 2.3.2 Public Engagement .................................................................................... 2.9 2.3.3 Physical Environment ................................................................................ 2.10 2.3.4 Vegetation ................................................................................................. 2.10 2.3.5 Heritage Resources and the Agricultural Drainage Network ............. 2.11 2.4 RESTRICTED ACTIVITY PERIODS ................................................................................... 2.12 3.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS ...............................................................................................3.1 3.1 OVERVIEW OF SUB-WATERSHEDS AND WATERCOURSE CROSSINGS ....................... 3.1 3.2 SURFACE WATER QUALITY ............................................................................................. 3.1 3.3 RIPARIAN VEGETATION .................................................................................................. 3.6 3.4 COMMERCIAL, RECREATIONAL AND ABORIGINAL FISHERIES ................................ 3-14 3.5 AQUATIC SPECIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN ................................................. 3-18 3.6 HABITAT SENSITIVITY SUMMARY ................................................................................... 3-22 3.7 FISH AND FISH HABITAT DESCRIPTION FOR EACH WATERCOURSE CROSSING ...... 3-23 3.7.1 Site 1 – Sturgeon Creek ............................................................................. 3-23 3.7.2 Site 2 – Third Creek ..................................................................................... 3-24 3.7.3 Site 3 – Unnamed Tributary to Assiniboine River .................................... 3-26 3.7.4 Site 4 – Assiniboine River ........................................................................... 3-27 3.7.5 Site 5 – La Salle River.................................................................................. 3-28 3.7.6 Site 6 – Red River ........................................................................................ 3-30 3.7.7 Site 7 – Red River Floodway ..................................................................... 3-32 3.7.8 Site 8 – Seine River at Floodway .............................................................. 3-33 3.7.9 Site 9 – Cooks Creek .................................................................................. 3-35 3.7.10 Site 10 – Edie Creek ................................................................................... 3-36 3.7.11 Site 11 – Edie Creek South Crossing ........................................................ 3-37 i MANITOBA-MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT: FISH AND FISH HABITAT – TECHNICAL DATA REPORT 3.7.12 Site 12 – Cooks Creek South Crossing ..................................................... 3-38 3.7.13 Site 13 – Fish Creek..................................................................................... 3-39 3.7.14 Site 14 – Unnamed Watercourse ............................................................. 3-40 3.7.15 Site 15 – Unnamed Watercourse ............................................................. 3-41 3.7.16 Site 16 – Seine River Tributary ................................................................... 3-41 3.7.17 Site 17 – Seine River ................................................................................... 3-43 3.7.18 Site 18 – La Broquerie Drain ...................................................................... 3-44 3.7.19 Site 19 – Rat River ....................................................................................... 3-46 3.7.20 Site 20 – Pine Creek Diversion .................................................................. 3-47 3.7.21 Site 21 – Pine Creek ................................................................................... 3-48 3.7.22 Site 22 – Pine Creek Arm ........................................................................... 3-49 3.7.23 Site 23 – Unnamed Watercourse ............................................................. 3-50 3.8 SUMMARY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS FOR FISH AND FISH HABITAT ....................... 3-51 4.0 DATA GAPS .................................................................................................................4.2 5.0 KEY CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................5.1 6.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................6.1 LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1: Key Issues Identified for Fish and Fish Habitat ........................................... 1.7 Table 2-1: Land Cover Classes used to Describe Riparian Vegetation ................ 2.10 Table 2-2: Restricted Activity Periods for Fish Species in Southern Manitoba ....... 2.12 Table 3-1: Summary of Range and Median Water Quality Parameters in Potential Fish-Bearing Watercourses Crossed by the Project .................................. 3.2 Table 3-2: Riparian Vegetation Cover at Potential Fish-bearing Watercourses Crossed by the Project ................................................................................. 3.7 Table 3-3: Fish Species Known or Expected to Occur within the Seven Sub- watersheds of the RAA .............................................................................. 3-14 Table 3-4: Commercial, Recreational and Aboriginal (CRA) Fishery Species Known of Expected to Occur within the RAA ..................................................... 3-17 Table 3-5: Aquatic Species of Conservation Concern (SOCC) Known or Expected to Occur within the RAA ............................................................................ 3-21 Table 3-6: Summary of Field-Assessed Watercourses Crossed by the Project ....... 3.1 ii MANITOBA-MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT: FISH AND FISH HABITAT – TECHNICAL DATA REPORT LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1: Flow Diagram of Data Collected and Decision Framework for the Project Environmental Assessment Process ............................................... 2.2 LIST OF MAPS Map 1-1 Project Infrastructure