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Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Line 2 Replacement Project December 2012 / 8207 APPENDIX 4 AQUATIC ASSESSMENT Page A4-1 AQUATIC ASSESSMENT FOR THE ENBRIDGE PIPELINES INC. LINE 2 REPLACEMENT PROJECT December 2012 8207 Prepared for: Prepared by: Enbridge Pipelines Inc. TERA Environmental Consultants Suite 1100, 815 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3P2 Ph: 403-265-2885 Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Aquatic Assessment Line 2 Replacement Project December 2012 / 8207 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Description .............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Fish Community .................................................................................................................. 4 1.5 Regulatory Standards ......................................................................................................... 7 1.5.1 Federal Standards ................................................................................................. 7 1.5.2 Provincial Standards .............................................................................................. 8 2.0 METHODS ....................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Open Water Aquatic Habitat Assessment Methods ............................................................ 9 2.2 Open Water Fish Inventory Methods .................................................................................. 9 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Proposed Crossings .......................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Open Water Aquatic Habitat Results ................................................................................ 11 3.2.1 Fish Habitat Potential ........................................................................................... 14 3.3 Fish Inventory Results....................................................................................................... 14 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................. 16 4.1 Recommended Pipeline Crossing Methods ...................................................................... 16 4.2 Contingency Pipeline Crossing Methods .......................................................................... 17 4.3 Recommended Vehicle and Equipment Crossing Methods ............................................. 17 4.4 Recommendations for Nonfish-bearing Drainages ........................................................... 17 5.0 MITIGATION .................................................................................................................................. 21 6.0 SUMMARY/CLOSING .................................................................................................................... 22 7.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 23 7.1 Personal Communications ................................................................................................ 23 7.2 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................. 23 7.3 GIS References ................................................................................................................. 25 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Watercourse Site Records ...............................................................................................A-1 Appendix B Nonfish-Bearing Drainage Site Records ..........................................................................B-1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Regional Location ............................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2 Proposed Crossings .......................................................................................................... 12 Figure 3 Fish Symbol ...................................................................................................................... 18 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Fish Species that may Occur in the North Saskatchewan River Near the Proposed Pipeline Route .................................................................................................... 5 Table 2 Summary of Water Quality Parameters and Mean Channel Characteristics .................... 13 Table 3 Fish Habitat Potential Ratings ........................................................................................... 14 Table 4 Summary of Fish Sampling Efforts and Results ............................................................... 15 Table 5 Summary of Proposed Watercourse Crossings Along the Proposed Pipeline Route ................................................................................................................................. 19 Table 6 Summary of Nonfish-Bearing Drainage Crossings Along the Proposed Pipeline Route ................................................................................................................... 20 Page i Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Aquatic Assessment Line 2 Replacement Project December 2012 / 8207 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Description Enbridge Pipelines Inc. (Enbridge) is applying to the National Energy Board (NEB) under Section 58 of the NEB Act for approval to construct and operate a new pipeline (the Line 2 Replacement pipeline) and Section 44 of the Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR), 1999 for approval to deactivate a segment of the existing Enbridge Line 2 pipeline (the Project). Enbridge currently operates the existing Line 2 pipeline which originates at Enbridge’s existing Edmonton Terminal and transports crude oil southeast to the United States border near Gretna, Manitoba. The proposed Line 2 Replacement pipeline will replace the segment of pipeline between the Edmonton Terminal at SE 5-53-23 W4M and a new block valve located near Joseph Lake at SW 1-50-22 W4M. The proposed 609 mm outside diameter (O.D.) (NPS 24) pipeline will transport crude oil and is approximately 38.2 km in length (Figure 1). The proposed pipeline route is contiguous to existing linear disturbances for approximately 94% of its length. The construction right-of-way will typically be 43-45 m wide, including an approximately 10-13 m wide permanent easement with the remainder of the width to be used as temporary workspace. When the permanent easement and temporary workspace are taken in the entirety, it is referred to as the construction right-of-way. Additional temporary workspace will be required at select locations to accommodate construction activities (e.g., road, buried utility line and water crossings, sharp sidebends, tie-ins and locations where extra depth of cover or heavy grading is necessary). Enbridge will also acquire temporary workspace for Project construction needs such as stockpile sites, shoo-flies and contractor staging areas. In accordance with CSA Z662, the deactivated segment of the existing Line 2 pipeline will be cleaned, purged, filled with nitrogen gas and left in place. Deactivation activities will be focused at both ends of the deactivated segment where excavation is required. Enbridge anticipates that work will occur mostly within existing Enbridge property or the existing Enbridge right-of-way (i.e., at the Edmonton Terminal and at the end of the Project at SW 1-50-22 W4M). In the event that additional temporary workspace is required, Enbridge will acquire it appropriately. Pending regulatory approval, construction of the replacement pipeline is anticipated to commence in August 2013 and be in-service by Q4 2013. Deactivation of the existing Line 2 pipeline segment will follow the Line 2 Replacement in-service date. Design, construction and operation of the Project will be in compliance with all applicable codes, standards and regulations. Locations along the proposed pipeline route are referred to by Kilometre Post (KP). The system of KPs used in this report are Environment KPs, which have a long history of use along this Enbridge mainline right-of-way. Using the Environment KP system, the currently proposed pipeline route begins at KP 0.0 at the Edmonton Terminal (SE 5-53-23 W4M) and ends at KP 33.8 (SW 1-50-22 W4M), following the Enbridge mainline right-of-way that has been in place since the early 1950s. A substantial pipeline route deviation from the Enbridge mainline was adopted to use the Transportation/Utilities Corridor (TUC) during the Line 4 Extension Project in 2007 from SE 32-52-23 W4M to SW 36-51-23 W4M, and was identified at the time of that project as a subset of the KP numbering system, KPE 0.0 to KPE 15.4 (the E is for Edmonton reroute). This deviation numbering system has also been carried forward to the current Project. Additional deviations that are greater than approximately 60 m from the existing mainline right-of-way