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Environmental Background Site C Clean Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement Volume 2: Assessment Methodology and Environmental Effects Assessment Section 11: Environmental Background 1 11 ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND 2 This section of the EIS provides a description of the environment in the vicinity of the 3 Project. It begins with a summary of previous hydroelectric development on the Peace 4 River. Baseline conditions on land, in the water and air are described and predicted 5 changes in the following technical areas are presented: 6 • Geology, Terrain, and Soils 7 • Land Status, Tenure, and Project Requirements 8 • Surface Water Regime 9 • Water Quality 10 • Groundwater Regime 11 • Thermal and Ice Regime 12 • Fluvial Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Regime 13 • Methylmercury 14 • Microclimate 15 • Air Quality 16 • Noise and Vibration 17 • Electric and Magnetic Fields 18 The baseline information and predicted changes described in this section were used in 19 the effects assessment on VCs, as relevant. 11-1 Site C Clean Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement Volume 2: Assessment Methodology and Environmental Effects Assessment Section 11: Environmental Background Previous Developments 1 11.1 Previous Developments 2 The environmental conditions in the Peace River watershed have been influenced by a 3 range of ongoing anthropogenic developments and environmental factors, both prior to 4 and following the development of upstream hydroelectric facilities. Understanding 5 environmental changes, in particular those associated with previous hydroelectric 6 development, provides context for the environmental assessment of the Project. The 7 following sections describe the existing hydroelectric facilities in the Peace River 8 watershed, the environmental changes that are understood to be caused by these 9 hydroelectric developments, and the key follow-up programs that have been initiated to 10 manage those environmental changes due to hydroelectric development. 11 11.1.1 Existing Hydroelectric Generation Projects on the Peace River 12 BC Hydro owns and operates two hydroelectric generation facilities on the Peace River. 13 The facilities play an important role in the BC Hydro system and together account for 14 greater than 30% of the capacity of the electrical power generation facilities in B.C. The 15 existing facilities are operated as part of a coordinated system to allow BC Hydro to 16 respond to seasonal and hourly changes in electricity demand. 17 W.A.C. Bennett Dam was completed in 1968 and is located 168 km upstream of the 18 Alberta border. The 183-m-high earthfill dam is located at a natural outlet of the northern 19 portion of the Rocky Mountain trench, and impounds the Williston Reservoir. The 20 reservoir provides capacity for the multi-year storage of seasonal runoff from tributary 21 sources upstream of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam. The G.M. Shrum Generating Station, 22 which is located at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, has 10 generating units with a total 23 installed capacity of 2,730 MW. The maximum total discharge capacity from the facility is 24 approximately 11,200 m3/s (1,968 m3/s for power generation and 9,200 m3/s for 25 spillway). 26 The Peace Canyon Dam was constructed in 1976 approximately 23 km downstream of 27 the W.A.C. Bennett Dam near the town of Hudson's Hope. The 61-m-high concrete dam 28 impounds the Peace River to form Dinosaur Reservoir within the steep walls of the 29 Peace Canyon, located in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Dinosaur 30 Reservoir is smaller than Williston Reservoir, with a width of approximately 1 km at its 31 widest point, an operating range of approximately 3 m, and active storage of 32 approximately 0.1% of the active storage of Williston Reservoir. Water discharged from 33 the G.M. Shrum Generating Station or released from discharge facilities (spillways, low 34 level outlets) at W.A.C. Bennett Dam flows directly into the Dinosaur Reservoir. The 35 Peace Canyon Generating Station, which is integrated into the dam, has four generating 36 units with a total installed capacity of 694 MW. Operations of the generating station are 37 generally matched to be in balance with upstream operations such that the flow through 38 both generating stations is approximately equal at any given time. Total maximum 39 discharge capacity from Peace Canyon Dam is approximately 12,250 m3/s (1,982 m3/s 40 for power generation, and 10,280 m3/s for spillway releases). 11-2 Site C Clean Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement Volume 2: Assessment Methodology and Environmental Effects Assessment Section 11: Environmental Background Previous Developments 1 11.1.2 Environmental Changes Resulting From Previous Developments 2 11.1.2.1 Physical Conditions 3 Upstream of Peace Canyon Dam 4 Dam construction resulted in conversion of a river valley environment upstream of Peace 5 Canyon Dam to one composed of two separated water bodies. The construction of 6 W.A.C. Bennett Dam resulted in the inundation of approximately 360 km of the Findlay, 7 Parsnip, and Peace rivers, and lower portions of smaller tributaries flowing into them on 8 the west side of the Rocky Mountains. The interconnected river valley system was 9 transformed into a single water body with a surface area of approximately 1,773 km2. 10 Williston Reservoir is deep (maximum depth 166 m), with an average water surface 11 elevation that is, on average, more than 40 m higher than river levels during 12 pre-regulation conditions (Stockner et al. 2005). The reservoir volume and surface area 13 extent vary on a seasonal basis. In general, reservoir levels are higher in the late 14 summer and early fall following the capture of seasonal inflows, and lower in the early 15 spring after water is withdrawn from storage to generate electricity through the winter. 16 The licensed range of reservoir levels in the Williston Reservoir is 30 m; however, 17 annual operations within this range typically vary by less than 18 m. 18 The construction of Peace Canyon Dam created the smaller Dinosaur Reservoir 19 immediately downstream of the Williston Reservoir. The extent of inundation was limited 20 by the distance between the two dams and the steepness of the canyon in which the 21 reservoir is located. Dinosaur Reservoir levels are managed to fluctuate over a smaller 22 range than those observed in Williston Reservoir (i.e., normal operating range of 23 approximately 3 m). 24 The construction of reservoirs resulted in flooding of the valley bottom and upland areas, 25 and increased the potential for the methylation of mercury. Inundation of the river valley 26 bottom was more extensive in the case of the Williston Reservoir than Dinosaur 27 Reservoir. Assessment of methylmercury concentrations in environmental receptors was 28 first conducted in the Peace River system in 1980, following the development of existing 29 hydroelectric facilities. Methylmercury levels in key environmental receptors (i.e., water, 30 sediment, invertebrates, fish) were observed to be elevated above that expected in lakes 31 in the region; and, in some species of fish, methylmercury levels exceeded some Health 32 Canada guidelines for consumption. However, follow-up assessments have 33 demonstrated that, as expected, the increase in methylmercury levels in environmental 34 receptors following reservoir development was not permanent. Concentrations have 35 declined and are expected to continue to decline to levels reflective of expected 36 pre-regulation conditions (EVS Environment Consultants 1999). Volume 2 Appendix J 37 Mercury Technical Reports, Part 1 Mercury Technical Synthesis Report provides more 38 detailed information on the effects of previous hydroelectric developments on 39 methylmercury in the Peace system. 40 As water is withdrawn from Williston Reservoir, the drawdown zone is progressively 41 exposed around the shoreline of the reservoir. Depending on the pattern of reservoir 42 operation, littoral zones can be exposed for periods of several weeks to several months 43 each year. During drawdown, wind storms can pick up fine particles of silts and clays 44 (“dust”) from certain beaches in the northern end of the reservoir in the exposed 45 drawdown zone. Reservoir water levels are typically at their lowest in April, and the 11-3 Site C Clean Energy Project Environmental Impact Statement Volume 2: Assessment Methodology and Environmental Effects Assessment Section 11: Environmental Background Previous Developments 1 majority of the drawdown zone where dust is generated is flooded again by June. The 2 primary concern regarding dust generation is air quality and community health 3 (BC Hydro 2003). As a result of the limited drawdown and topography of Dinosaur 4 Reservoir, there has been no reported incidence of concerns about air quality resulting 5 from dust generation. 6 Downstream of Peace Canyon Dam 7 Prior to development of the existing facilities, the seasonal flow pattern of the Peace was 8 similar to that observed in other large northern rivers. Flows in the Peace River were 9 dominated by snowmelt runoff and rainfall that produced high spring and summer flows; 10 low flows were typical in late fall and winter. With the exception of the filling period of 11 Williston Reservoir, long-term average flows have not been altered due to regulation; 12 however, there have been changes on an annual basis, and more noticeable changes in 13 the seasonal and daily pattern of flows. The nature and extent of the changes to the 14 surface water regime due to regulation depend on: 1) time of year, and 2) distance 15 downstream from the point of regulation (i.e., Peace Canyon Dam). Average monthly 16 flows released from Peace Canyon Dam are between 18% (June) and 590% (February) 17 of flows observed before regulation. In addition, generating station flow releases vary on 18 a daily basis, generally higher flow releases during the day than at night.
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