M Slct;~{®DIlZO® [EDIl~O U"@DIl OUll®DIlttSl~ M@DIlott@U"oDllg lPU"@B®ct;u = ~UuSl§® ~~ U9)[81 ~ct;'~o~o'~o®§ .'.: .". '--- ':I', 'I=======:!~ u:'fl·, H }:~I. :,-=.------J'!~~Jl, CAl IAl.3 8880056 Environmental Studies No. 56 Mackenzie Environmental Monitoring Project - Phase II 1987 Activities Northern Affairs Program LGL Limited ESSA Environmental and Social Systems Analysts Limited Lutra Associates ESL Environmental Sciences Limited Seakem Oceanography Limited P.J. Usher Consulting Services Renewable Resources Consulting M. Miles and Associates Limited A. Gell Published under the authority of the Hon. Bill McKnight, P.C., M.P., Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Ottawa, 1988. QS-8424-000-EF-A 1 Catalogue No. R71-19/56-1988E ISBN 0-662-16577-2 ©Minister of Supply and Services Canada This Report was prepared under contract for the Northern Oil and Gas Action Program (NOGAP), Natural Resources and Economic Development Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. The views, conclusions and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department. Indian and Northern Affaires indiennes 1+1 Affairs Canada et du Nord Canada ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Mackenzie Environmental Monitoring Project relies on the cooperation and contributions of a number of scientists and managers from government agencies, the petroleum industry, universities and consulting firms as well as individuals from the communities. We acknowledge all participants who contributed to this project. In particular, the following individuals and organizations are thanked for their contributions: Albert Adams Mackenzie Delta Regional Council, Inuvik Jim Allard Metis Association, Fort Good Hope Alex Aviugana Inuvialuit Game Council, Inuvik Maurice Mendo Great Bear DIZ Society, Fort Norman Jim Pierrot Mackenzie/Great Bear DIZ Society, Norman Wells George Edwards Hunters and Trappers Association, Aklavik Albert Elias Holman Island David Krutko Mackenzie Delta Regional Council John McCallum Dene Nation, Yellowknife Alice Able Dene Nation, Yellowknife Mike Fabijan Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat, Inuvik Kevin Lloyd NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Jamie Bastedo NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Bob Bromley NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Bob Decker NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Steve Matthews NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Mitch Taylor NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Kim Poole NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Chris Shank NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Larry Hagen NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Dyan Grant-Francis NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Steve Moore NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Rus Hall NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Doug Heard NWT Department Renewable Resources, Yellowknife Peter Clarkson NWT Department Renewable Resources, Inuvik Gordon Stenhouse NWT Department Renewable Resources, Inuvik Randal Glaholt NWT Department Renewable Resources, Inuvik Ron Graf NWT Department Renewable Resources, Fort Smith Jennett Frost NWT Department Social Services Sheldon Nyder NWT Department Social Services Susan Fleck NWT Science Institute, Yellowknife Gay Kennedy NWT Energy, Mines and Resources, Yellowknife Debbie Delancy NWT Priorities and Planning, Yellowknife Rick Hurst INAC, Yellowknife Kay McInnes INAC, Yellowknife Greg Cook INAC, Yellowknife Hal Mills INAC, Yellowknife David Moll INAC, Yellowknife Wayne Balanoff INAC, Yellowknife i Lorne Tricoteux INAC, Yellowknife Donna Stewart INAC, Ottawa Ben Hubert Boreal Ecology Services, Yellowknife Barry Connacher Barcon, Yellowknife Harvey Jessup Yukon Department Renewable Resources, Whitehorse Dave Mossop Yukon Department Renewable Resources, Whitehorse George Mackenzie-Grieve EPS, Whitehorse Anita Moore Boreal Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton Tom Andrew Dene Mapping Project, University of Alberta, Edmonton Lois Harwood Fisheries Joint Management Committee, Inuvik Kevin McCormick CWS, Yellowknife Lynn Dickson CWS, Edmonton Stuart Alexander CWS, Edmonton Peter Boothroyd CWS, Winnipeg Jim Hawkings CWS, Whitehorse Brian Wong DFO, Yellowknife Vic Gilman DFO, Inuvik Bill Bond DFO, Winnipeg Michael Lawrence DFO, Winnipeg Jim Reist DFO, Winnipeg Ken Chang-Kue DFO, Winnipeg Allen Kristofferson DFO, Winnipeg George McKinnon DFO, Winnipeg Tom Strong DFO, Winnipeg Mike Kingsley DFO, Winnipeg Ian Birtwell DFO, Vancouver Terry Day Sediment Survey of Canada, Ottawa Peter Lewis C.P. Lewis and Associates, Victoria Bob Bradley B.C. Hydro Authority, Vancouver Stu Davies North South Consulting, Winnipeg Archie Pick Interprovincial Pipelines (N.W.) Ltd., Edmonton Don Wishart Interprovincial Pipelines (N.W.) Ltd., Edmonton Bob Mahnic Interprovincial Pipelines (N.W.) Ltd., Edmonton Cal Sikstrom ESSO Resources Canada Limited, Edmonton Terry Antoniuk Gulf Canada Resources Ltd., Calgary Ed Pessah Dome Petroleum, Calgary Ken Taylor Polar Gas, Toronto The actual preparation of this report was a joint effort by several firms, as shown below. Technical assistance during report production at LGL Limited was provided by Jill Peterson and Nell Stallard; Lisa Clark did all the final word processing. ii Discipline Contributor Hydrocarbon Development Scenarios W. Duval ESL Environmental Sciences Limited Vancouver, B.C. Terrestrial and Semi-Aquatic Mammals G. Searing LGL Ltd. Sidney, B.C. Caribou R. Jakimchuk and L. Sopuck Renewable Resources Consulting Services Ltd. Sidney, B.C. Birds S. Johnson LGL Ltd., Sidney, B.C. Fish and Lower Trophic Levels A. Sekerak LGL Ltd., Sidney, B.C. Oceanography, Climatology and Air J. McDonald Quali ty ESL Environmental Sciences Limited Sidney, B.C. Water Quality D. Thomas Seakem Oceanography Ltd. Sidney, B.C. Hydrology M. Miles M. Miles and Associates Ltd. Victoria, B.C. Terrain Subsidence A. Gell Sooke, B.C. Resource Harvesting L. Little and R. Stephen Lutra Associates, Yellowknife, NWT Resource Harvesting R. Everitt E S SA En vironmen tal and Social Systems Analysts Ltd., Vancouver, B.C. Resource Harvesting P. Usher P.J. Usher Consulting Services, Ottawa, Ontario iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................. i LIST OF TABLES ............................................... xviii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................. xix SOMMAIRE ..................................................... xxi INTRODUCTION ................................................. 1 BACKGROUND 1 Impact Hypotheses ........................................ 2 Moni toring ............................................... 3 Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management ......... 3 ACTIVITIES IN 1987 ........................................... 4 Methods .................................................. 5 Report Organization ...................................... 5 PART I: AN UPDATED HYDROCARBON DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO FOR THE MEMP STUDY AREA INTRODUCTION ................................................. 7 RECENT ACTIVITIES OF THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY ................ 7 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO .................................. 8 Exploration and Production Drilling ...................... 8 Oil and Gas Processing Facilities and Gathering Line Systems ................................. 11 Transport Systems ........................................ 11 Support Systems .......................................... 12 PART II: PERTINENT RESEARCH IN RELATION TO MEMP HYPOTHESES INTRODUCTION ................................................. 14 HYPOTHESIS NO. 1 The presence of offshore drilling platforms, construction camps (and associated garbage) and gravel extraction will result in a decrease in the numbrers of arctic and red foxes ................................. 15 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-1: Observations on foxes, Alopex lagopus and Vulpes vulpes, and wolves, Canis lupus, on the off-shore sea ice of northern Labrador .................................. 18 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont'd) Page MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-2: Arctic fox den survey - Herschel Island, July 24-28, 1986 ...•.••..••.•.•...•........•• 19 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-3: Physical characteristics, terrain associations and soil properties of arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) dens in northern Yukon Territory J Canada .................................... 20 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-4: Lisburne Terrestrial Monitoring Program - 1986. The effects of the Lisburne Development Project on geese and swans •....•.•••••... 21 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-5: Ecological factors influencing the distribution of ringed seals during the open water period in the southeastern Beaufort Sea ..•......••.•• 22 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-6: Distribution and abundance of seals in the Beaufort Sea, Amundsen Gulf and Prince Albert Sound, 1984 .••.........••.••.•..•..•.••....... 23 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-7: Tagging and movements of polar bears in the Beaufort Sea .•••.•••....•••••••..•.•.....•.... 24 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 1-8: Attraction of polar bears to offshore rl.gs ................................................. 25 HYPOTHESIS NO.2: Increased traffic on the Dempster Highway and roads on the North Slope will decrease the number of caribou and alter their distribution ....•..•.•..••.•. 27 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 2-1: Migratory movements and the Nelchina caribou herd in relation to the Trans-Alaska pipeline ................................. '. .. 30 MEMP PROJECT OVERVIEW NO. 2-2: