Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir Project Canada Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 Project Description April 18, 2016 Prepared for: Alberta Transportation Prepared by: Stantec Consulting Ltd. SPRINGBANK OFF-STREAM RESERVOIR PROJECT CANADA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT, 2012 PROJECT DESCRIPTION Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................ I GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................... II 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONTACT(S) .............................................................. 1.1 1.1 NATURE AND PROPOSED LOCATION OF PROJECT ..................................................... 1.1 1.2 PROPONENT CONTACT INFORMATION ......................................................................... 1.4 1.3 LIST OF JURISDICTIONS AND OTHER PARTIES CONSULTED .......................................... 1.5 1.4 OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION .................................................................................... 1.7 1.4.1 Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Requirements of Other Jurisdictions .......................................................................................... 1.7 1.4.2 Regional Environmental Studies ................................................................ 1.10 2.0 PROJECT INFORMATION ............................................................................................... 2.1 2.1 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................. 2.1 2.2 DESIGNATED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ................................................................................... 2.4 2.3 COMPONENTS AND ACTIVITIES ...................................................................................... 2.4 2.3.1 Physical Works Associated with the Designated Project ........................ 2.4 2.3.2 Anticipated Size ........................................................................................... 2.12 2.3.3 Description of Project Activities ................................................................. 2.13 2.4 EMISSIONS, DISCHARGES AND WASTE ........................................................................ 2.19 2.4.1 Atmospheric Contaminant Emissions ....................................................... 2.19 2.4.2 Sources and Location of Liquid Discharges ............................................ 2.20 2.4.3 Types of Wastes and Plans for Their Disposal .......................................... 2.20 2.5 CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION PHASES AND SCHEDULING ............................... 2.21 3.0 PROJECT LOCATION ..................................................................................................... 3.1 3.1 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT LOCATION .......................................................................... 3.1 3.2 LAND AND WATER USE ..................................................................................................... 3.8 4.0 FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................... 4.1 4.1 FEDERAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT ........................................................................................ 4.1 4.2 FEDERAL LANDS ................................................................................................................ 4.1 4.3 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 4.1 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS............................................................................................ 5.1 5.1 PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS THAT MIGHT BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE PROJECT ............................................................................................. 5.1 5.1.1 Environmental Overview Methods ............................................................. 5.1 5.1.2 Soils and Terrain .............................................................................................. 5.2 5.1.3 Hydrogeology ................................................................................................. 5.4 5.1.4 Vegetation ...................................................................................................... 5.4 5.1.5 Wildlife .............................................................................................................. 5.8 SPRINGBANK OFF-STREAM RESERVOIR PROJECT CANADA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT, 2012 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 5.1.6 Surface Water and Aquatic Environment ............................................... 5.11 5.1.7 Land Use and Management ..................................................................... 5.14 5.1.8 Air Quality ...................................................................................................... 5.14 5.1.9 Historical Resources ..................................................................................... 5.15 5.2 CHANGES THAT MAY BE CAUSED BY THE PROJECT TO FISH AND FISH HABITAT, LISTED AQUATIC SPECIES AND MIGRATORY BIRDS .................................... 5.19 5.2.1 Fish and Fish Habitat, as Defined in the Fisheries Act ............................ 5.19 5.2.2 Aquatic Species, as Defined in the Species at Risk Act (SARA) .......... 5.21 5.2.3 Migratory Birds, as Defined in the Migratory Birds Convention Act .... 5.21 5.3 OTHER POTENTIAL CHANGES ........................................................................................ 5.22 5.3.1 Wetlands and Riparian Areas .................................................................... 5.22 5.3.2 Rare Plants .................................................................................................... 5.22 5.3.3 Other Wildlife Species ................................................................................. 5.23 5.3.4 Surface Water and Aquatic Environment ............................................... 5.24 5.3.5 Air Quality ...................................................................................................... 5.25 5.3.6 Historical Resources ..................................................................................... 5.25 5.4 CHANGES THAT MAY BE CAUSED BY THE PROJECT TO FEDERAL LANDS OR LANDS OUTSIDE OF ALBERTA ......................................................................................... 5.27 5.5 CHANGES THAT MAY BE CAUSED BY THE PROJECT TO ABORIGINAL PEOPLES RESULTING FROM CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................ 5.27 6.0 PROPONENT CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH ABORIGINAL GROUPS ......................................................................................................................... 6.1 6.1 LIST OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED AND INTERESTED ABORIGINAL GROUPS ................ 6.1 6.2 DESCRIPTION OF ENGAGEMENT OR CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT TO DATE WITH ABORIGINAL GROUPS .................................................................... 6.1 6.3 KEY COMMENTS AND CONCERNS BY ABORIGINAL GROUPS ................................... 6.2 6.4 CURRENT ABORIGINAL TRADITIONAL LAND USE .......................................................... 6.3 6.5 ABORIGINAL CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION GATHERING PLAN .................... 6.3 7.0 CONSULTATION WITH PUBLIC AND OTHER PARTIES .................................................... 7.1 7.1 STAKEHOLDERS AND RELATED CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES ........................................ 7.1 7.1.1 Potentially Affected and Interested Stakeholders ................................... 7.1 7.1.2 Overview of Any Ongoing or Proposed Stakeholder Consultation Activities ................................................................................... 7.4 7.1.3 Consultations with Other Jurisdictions ........................................................ 7.5 8.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 8.1 SPRINGBANK OFF-STREAM RESERVOIR PROJECT CANADA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT, 2012 PROJECT DESCRIPTION LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1 Jurisdictions Consulted by AT Regarding the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir Project ................................................................................................... 1.6 Table 1-2 Stakeholders and other Interest Groups Consulted by AT Regarding the Springbank Off-Stream Reservior Project .................................................. 1.6 Table 2-1 Components of Proposed Development ........................................................ 2.2 Table 2-2 Historic Flood Events that Exceeded Design Objectives of 160 m3/s.......... 2.5 Table 2-3 Anticipated Size of the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir Project ............. 2.13 Table 2-4 Wastes and Waste Management Methods for the Project ....................... 2.21 Table 2-5 Project Schedule ................................................................................................ 2.21 Table 5-1 Recorded Archaeological Resources within the Project Area .................. 5.15 Table 5-2 Recorded Historic Structures within the Project Area .................................. 5.16 Table 6-1 Aboriginal Groups Affected or Interested in the Project .............................. 6.1 Table 7-1 Stakeholders Who May be Potentially Affected and/or Interested in the Project ............................................................................................................. 7.1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 Project Area .........................................................................................................