Appendix 3.4 : Peace-Athabasca Delta Assessment
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APPENDIX 3.4 Peace-Athabasca Delta Assessment APPENDIX 3.4 Peace-Athabasca Delta Assessment Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Location ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 2.0 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Historic Data and Existing Conditions .................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Environmental Evaluation .................................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Summary ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 3.0 HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Historic Data, Existing Conditions and Trends ..................................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Flows and Ice Jams .............................................................................................................................. 10 3.1.2 Drainage ............................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Environmental Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 11 3.2.1 Effects of Flow Regulation .................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.2 Effects of Water Withdrawals ............................................................................................................... 13 3.2.3 Effects of Climate Change .................................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 4.0 SURFACE WATER QUALITY ........................................................................................................................................ 21 4.1 Historic Data, Existing Conditions and Trends ................................................................................................... 21 4.1.1 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................................ 21 4.1.2 Sediment Quality .................................................................................................................................. 25 4.2 Environmental Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 28 4.2.1 Effects on Water Quality ....................................................................................................................... 28 4.2.2 Effects on Thermal Regime .................................................................................................................. 29 4.2.3 Effects on Dissolved Oxygen Levels .................................................................................................... 30 4.2.4 Effects on Sediment Quality ................................................................................................................. 30 4.3 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................... 31 May 2012 Project No. 10-1346-0001 i APPENDIX 3.4 Peace-Athabasca Delta Assessment 5.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................................ 32 TABLES Table 2.1-1 Fort Chipewyan Air Quality ................................................................................................................................... 5 Table 2.2-1 Air Quality Predictions in the Peace-Athabasca Delta .......................................................................................... 6 Table 3.1-1 Flow Statistics for Tributary Watersheds of the Peace-Athabasca Delta .............................................................. 8 Table 3.1-2 Water Levels Recorded in the Peace-Athabasca Delta ........................................................................................ 9 Table 3.2-1 Difference in Flow Statistics on the Peace River ................................................................................................ 12 Table 3.2-2 Changes From Water Withdrawals on Water Level in the Athabasca River Delta .............................................. 20 Table 4.1-1 Temporal Trends for Water Quality Parameters ................................................................................................. 24 Table 4.1-2 Temporal Trends for Constituents with Significant Change ................................................................................ 27 FIGURES Figure 1.1-1 Long-term Hydrology Monitoring Stations in the Peace-Athabasca Delta ............................................................ 2 Figure 3.2-1 Effects of Water Withdrawals on Distributary Channels ...................................................................................... 15 Figure 3.2-2 Effects of Water Withdrawals on Distributary Channels ...................................................................................... 15 Figure 3.2-3 Effects of Water Withdrawals on Distributary Channels ...................................................................................... 16 Figure 3.2-4 Recorded Athabasca River Flows....................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 3.2-5 Athabasca River Flow – Considering Water Withdrawals ................................................................................... 18 LIST OF ATTACHMENT Attachment A Hydrological Baseline Information Attachment B Summary of Water Quality Attachment C Summary of Sediment Quality Attachment D Temporal Trends for Selected Individual Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Species May 2012 Project No. 10-1346-0001 ii APPENDIX 3.4 Peace-Athabasca Delta Assessment 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) completed for Jackpine Mine Expansion (JME) predicted that there will be no adverse cumulative effects on the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) from the JME in combination with other developments in the Oil Sands Region. As part of the December 2011 sufficiency review submissions, Environment Canada requested additional review of the effects of sediment on water quality in the PAD and Parks Canada requested an assessment of incremental and cumulative effects on the PAD. Based on these comments and others received through the review process for this EIA, Shell agreed in the January 18, 2012 letter to the Joint Review Panel to provide an assessment of the PAD. This appendix provides context for understanding the cumulative effects assessment for the 2012 Planned Development Case (PDC) of air quality, hydrology and surface water quality as it relates to the PAD. Discussion is also provided about the incremental effects of JME on the PAD. 1.1 Location The PAD is located in northeastern Alberta at the western end of Lake Athabasca where the Peace, Athabasca and Birch rivers converge (Figure 1.1-1). About 80% of the PAD is in Wood Buffalo National Park. The PAD has a drainage basin of about 600,000 km2, which includes most of northern Alberta and parts of northern British Columbia and Saskatchewan (Parks Canada 2010); it comprises: three main deltas, including: 2 . Birch River Delta (168 km ); 2 . Peace River Delta (1,680 km ); and 2 . Athabasca River Delta (1,960 km ). numerous interconnected channels (both active and inactive) and shallow, open-water areas; the largest of these include: . Lake Claire; . Baril Lake; . Mamawi Lake; and . Richardson Lake. The southern extent of the PAD is approximately 130 km downstream of JME. May 2012 Project No. 10-1346-0001 1 APPENDIX 3.4 Peace-Athabasca Delta Assessment 1.2 Scope For this assessment, existing conditions, historical trends, as well as an environmental evaluation of JME effects and the 2012 PDC, were assessed for air quality, hydrology and surface water quality. Changes to key issues and indicators are evaluated in the context of the PAD for identified key indicators, as well as from the results of the PDC assessment completed. The assessment also provides context on whether the PAD warrants inclusion in aquatics Regional Study Areas for EIAs in the region. The scope of this assessment was limited to existing information that could be obtained from publicly