The State of the Environment in Lacombe County
Lacombe County would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following people in preparing this report on the state of the environment in Lacombe County.
Blayne West, Lacombe County Senior Management Team, Lacombe County Planning Team, Larry Riep, Barry Cole, Doug Neis, Sarah Skinner, Jay White, Donna Hennig, Michael Kartusch.
To obtain additional copies of the report:
On the web: The State of the Environment in Lacombe County is available on our website www.lacombecounty.com.
Paper copies: Please contact Lacombe County directly at 403-782-6601
First printing April 2013 Page. 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A State of the Environment Report is an important tool for Lacombe County. It provides a snapshot of the current condition of the environment and the pressures that impact it. This document examines the state of the environment in Lacombe County through a scientific and socio-economic planning structure. The scientific approach focuses on analysing available data to identify and assess changes in the environment over time. The planning approach uses social norms to compare and rank alternative choices, to balance environmental, economic and social objectives, and to initiate management options.
The report outlines community perception, scientific data, current environmental legislation and environmental extension programs. It is a compilation of information gathered from various sources and provides us with a baseline. It does not include management recommendations or future planning considerations. This document is a snapshot in time; it represents only the data that is available at the time of writing.
Lacombe County is located in Central Alberta, straddling six towns and villages and bordering five counties. The County is mostly rural, with a strong industry component along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and Highway 597. The County has approximately 10,000 residents and covers 712,960 acres or 2,885 km2. It is situated in both the Boreal Forest and Parkland Natural Regions of Alberta. It boasts a wide diversity of ecosystems, including numerous water bodies, and is home to the popular summer destinations of Gull, Buffalo and Sylvan Lakes. J.J. Collette Natural Area, which boasts a number of rare and special plants and animals, is also found within the County boundaries.
Due to the geographic location and abundance of fertile farmland, the County faces some unique challenges. A very high percentage, 84%, of land is used for either agriculture or development, leaving only 16% of the lands in a natural ecological state. There is also a very large component of linear disturbance in the County, with up to 9.3% of the land within the County used by pipelines, transmission lines, roads etc.
Nine environmental indicators were chosen to measure and report on the state of the environment. These indicators are based on various sources such as the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Water Quality Guidelines, Alberta Agriculture, and previously published State of the Watershed reports in the province.
The indicators are grouped in four categories: land use, water quality, bio-indicators and human impacts. Where relevant, a three point scale of good, fair and poor was used to rank the indicators. Of the nine indicators, one indicator was measured ‘good’, two indicators were measured ‘fair’ and three were measured as ‘poor’. The remaining three indicators were not ranked, due either to insufficient data or the lack of a scale that was appropriate for the County. The following table summarizes the rankings. For indicators that lack a scale, the measurement in future reports will be based on the percentage of change that occurs between the years of reporting. Page. 2
Land Use Water Quality Bio-indicator Human Impact
Agriculture and Livestock Nutrients - Lakes Habitat cover and Waste generation Operations (Fair) (Good) and Rivers (Poor) health (*) and disposal** Bacteria - Lakes (*) Wildlife biodiversity (*) and Rivers (Poor) Parasites - Lakes (*) Wetland Condition and and Rivers (Poor) Riparian Health - Lakes (Fair) Pesticides - Lakes (*) Wetland Condition and and Rivers (Poor) Riparian Health - Lakes (Fair) * Insufficient Data to Rate * Insufficient Data to Rate ** No appropriate scale for the County
This report card provides us with a baseline. This information, along with views collected from the community in an extensive consultation process conducted in 2012, will help to determine priorities and make decisions. Lacombe County is developing an Environmental Management Plan, which is scheduled to be completed and released in 2014. This document will be distributed for public comment before it is adopted by Council.
This is the first State of the Environment report to be written for Lacombe County. We will update this document on a regular schedule to accurately reflect changes in the environment in Lacombe County.
CommunityCommunity consultaconsulta on on EnvrEnvrionmentionment Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
1 Introduction8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
2 Current State of the Environment in Lacombe County888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 2.1 An Overview of Lacombe County8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 2.2 Natural Regions and Sub-regions8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 2.3 Watersheds8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 2.3.1 Sub-watersheds ...... 12 8 Setting the scene - Land use in Lacombe County8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 2.4.1 Urban, Rural and Recreational Developments ...... 15 2.4.2 Linear Disturbance ...... 19
3 Measuring Environmental Condition8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.1 Environmental Indicators88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.2 What indicators should be used?888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.3 Land Use88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.3.1 Agriculture and Livestock Operations – Manure Production (Poor) ...... 26 3.4 Water Quality “Good to Poor”888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.4.1 Understanding the Surface Water Guidelines ...... 31 3.4.2 Significant Water Bodies within Lacombe County ...... 32 3.4.3 Nutrients ...... 34 3.4.4 Bacteria ...... 44 3.4.5 Parasites...... 45 3.4.6 Pesticides ...... 46 3.4.7 Conclusion of Water Quality ...... 48 3.5 Water Quantity8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.5.1 Volume ...... 49 3.5.2 Allocations ...... 50 3.5.3 Groundwater ...... 54 3.6 Bio-Indicators888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.6.1 Landcover - Percentage and Type of Landcover Including Trees, Shrubs, Grassland, Cultivated and Bare Soil...... 55 3.6.2 Wildlife Biodiversity ...... 59
6
3.6.3 Habitat cover and health ...... 60 3.6.4 Wetlands and Condition Including Riparian Health ...... 69 3.6.5 Management Tools ...... 75 3.7 Human Impacts888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 3.7.1 Waste generation and disposal ...... 76 3.7.2 Historical Landfills ...... 79 3.8 Conclusion of Environmental Indicators888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
4 Community Consultation888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 4.1 Focus Groups888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 4.2 Telephone Survey 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 4.2.1 Quality of Life...... 84 4.2.2 Environmental Issues Facing Lacombe County ...... 84 4.2.3 Environmental Behaviours and Activities ...... 85 4.2.4 Awareness of Environmental Initiatives ...... 86 4.2.5 Communications ...... 86 4.2.6 Future Efforts Regarding Environmental Stewardship ...... 87
5 Environmental Programing in Lacombe County88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 5.1 County Programs888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 5.1.1 Winter Road Maintenance Program ...... 87 5.1.2 Dust Control Program ...... 88 5.1.3 Brushing Program ...... 88 5.1.4 Road Construction ...... 88 5.1.5 Construction of Recreational Trails ...... 88 5.1.6 Mowing ...... 89 5.2 Environmental Education Programs in Lacombe County8888888888888888888888888888888888888 5.2.1 Municipal ...... 89 5.2.2 Community Groups ...... 89 5.2.3 Provincial ...... 90 5.2.4 Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) ...... 91 5.2.5 Agriculture and Rural Development Alberta ...... 92
6 What is happening outside of Lacombe County?888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 6.1 Flora and Fauna Studies88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 6.1.1 Municipal ...... 94 6.1.2 Provincial ...... 94
7
6.2 Environmental Education Programs8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 6.2.1 Municipal ...... 95 6.2.2 Provincial ...... 96 6.3 Private and Ngo88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 6.3.1 Cows and Fish ...... 97
7 Legislation and Regulatory Bodies8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 7.1 Federal88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 7.1.1 Canadian Environmental Protection Act ...... 98 7.1.2 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) ...... 98 7.1.3 Canada Water Act ...... 98 7.1.4 Fisheries Act ...... 99 7.1.5 Transportation of Dangerous Goods ...... 99 7.1.6 Spill Reporting ...... 99 7.1.7 Contaminated sites ...... 99 7.1.8 Species at Risk Act ...... 100 7.1.9 Migratory Bird Act ...... 100 7.2 Provincial888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 7.2.1 Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act ...... 100 7.2.2 Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA) ...... 100 7.2.3 Soil Conservation Act ...... 100 7.2.4 Water Act ...... 137 7.2.5 Climate Change and Emissions Act ...... 137 7.2.6 Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas and Heritage Rangelands Act 137 7.2.7 Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) ...... 137 7.2.8 Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) ...... 102 7.3 Municipal Bylaws8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 7.3.1 Stubble Burning ...... 138 7.3.2 Off Highway Vehicles ...... 138
8 Conclusion
Glossary
Works Cited
8
Section 1 - INTRODUCTION Page 6
1 INTRODUCTION A state of the environment report is an important tool for Lacombe County to help determine the effect of management actions on environmental conditions in the local area. It provides a snapshot of