Atlas de sensibilité du littoral de la région BEAUFORT Regional Coastal Sensitivity Atlas 2 Cat. No.: xx ISBN xx Information contained in this publication or product may be reproduced, in part or in whole, and by any means, for per- sonal or public non-commercial purposes, without charge or further permission, unless otherwise specified. You are asked to: Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced; Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author organization; and Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of an official work that is published by the Government of Canada and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada. Commercial reproduction and distribution is prohibited except with written permission from the Government of Cana- da’s copyright administrator, Public Works and Government Services of Canada (PWGSC). For more information, please contact PWGSC at 613-996-6886 or at [email protected]. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of the Environment, 2014 Resumé aussi disponible en français 3 4 ABSTRACT RESUMÉ Environment Canada and other Federal agencies have important roles Environnement Canada et d’autres organismes fédéraux ont un rôle im- in terms of environmental emergency prevention, preparedness, and re- portant à jouer en termes de prévention, de préparation, et de réponse sponse. In the face of increasing economic opportunities in Canada’s lors d’urgences environnementales. Face à l’augmentation des possi- northern regions, the need to improve our state of preparedness for oil bilités économiques dans les régions nordiques du Canada, la nécessité spill related emergencies, in particular, is critical. This version of the Beau- d’améliorer notre état ​​de préparation aux situations d’urgence liées à des fort Regional Coastal Sensitivity Atlas is an update of the information pro- déversements d’hydrocarbures en particulier, est critique. Cette version de vided in the Arctic Environmental Sensitivity Atlas System (AESAS) (2004) l’Atlas de la sensibilité de la région Beaufort est une mise à jour des infor- and presents an overview of resources that are vulnerable to oil spills. It mations fournies dans l’Atlas de sensibilité environnementale de l’Arctique includes baseline coastal information such as shoreline form, substrate, and (AESAS, 2004) et donne un aperçu des ressources qui sont vulnérables aux vegetation type, which is required for operational prioritization and coordi- déversements d’hydrocarbures. L’Atlas comprend des informations côtières nation of on-site spill response activities (i.e., SCAT: Shoreline Cleanup and de base tels que: le type de rivage, le substrat, et le type de végétation qui Assessment Technique), as well as sensitive biological resources and sen- est nécessaire pour établir les priorités opérationnelles et la coordination sitive human use resources. The study area includes the coastal area that des activités d’intervention lors de déversements (c’est-à-dire TERR, Tech- extends along the mainland from the Yukon/Alaska border at 141°W east nique d’Évaluation et de Restauration du Rivage), ainsi que les ressourc- through the Mackenzie Delta to the Northwest Territories/Nunavut border es biologiques sensibles et les ressources socio-économique sensibles. La at 120°W. The area also includes the entire coast of Banks Island to the zone d’étude comprend la zone côtière qui s’étend le long de la partie north of the mainland and the East and Middle Channels of the Mackenzie continentale de la frontière Yukon / Alaska à 141 ° O, à travers le delta du River Delta north of Inuvik. Mackenzie jusqu'à la frontière des Territoires du Nord-Ouest/Nunavut à 120 ° O. La zone comprend également toute la côte de l’île Banks au nord des terres, et les canaux ‘East’ et ‘Middle’ du fleuve Mackenzie Delta au nord d’Inuvik. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Funding for this Atlas was provided by: The eSPACE project and the Atlas project were managed by: . The Canadian Space Agency (GRIP) . Jason Duffe, EC . The Environmental Studies Resesarch Fund (ESRF) administered by . Sonia Laforest, EC Natural Resources Canada . Environment Canada’s (EC) Landscape Science and Tecnhology Division Field work to support the creation of the shoreline classification was carried out by: . Environment Canada’s Environmental Emergencies Division . Anne-Marie Demers, EC Many thanks to the following communities and organizations whose hos- . Valerie Wynja, EC pitality and support made this project possible: . Mélanie Lacelle, EC . Sarah Banks, EC . Communities of Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Ulukha- ktok and Aklavik . Jean-Francois Aublet , EC . Hunters and Trappers Committees (HTCs) . Lyndon Brinkworth, EC . Canadian Helicopters (Pilot: Brian Healy) Shoreline segmentation for the Beaufort was carried out by: . Aklak Air (fuel delivery) . Bhavana Chaudhary, EC Data was kindly provided by: . Natural Resources Canada (basemap information) Preparation of data and maps, including digital cartography and technical . SL Ross Environmental Research Ltd. (Ken Trudel) support provided by: . Canadian Wildlife Service (Environment Canada) . Fisheries and Oceans Canada . Valerie Wynja,EC . Joint Secretariat, Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Special thanks to Norm Tom Giles, EC Snow for all your support.) . Matt Giles, EC . Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Government of the North- . Jon Pasher, EC west Territories . Mike Khoury, EC . Andy Murray, EC Many thanks to Steven Solomon, Nicole Couture, Gavin Manson and Dus- . Bhavana Chaudhary, EC tin Whalen at the GSC (Geological Survey of Canada) for their support and . Huili Wang, EC advice. Lisa Koponen, EC 5 6 Table of Contents Abstract 5 Resumé 5 Acknowledgments 5 Project Background 8 Formats and Data Presentation 8 Overview of the Region 9 Development of Shoreline Classification for the Beaufort Sea 21 Across-Shore Zones. 21 SCAT – Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique. 21 Collection of Video and Ground Data . 21 Shoreline Interpretation and Segmentation . 22 The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) 24 Assigning ESI based on SCAT Class . 24 Explanation of ESI Rankings . 25 Specific Shoreline Types Included by each ESI Ranking . 26 Essential Elements of ESI Rankings. 27 Shoreline Treatment 28 Shoreline Treatment Response Options. 28 Oil Viscosity Ranges. 29 Appropriate Clean-up Strategies for Beaufort Shorelines 30 Man-Made Solid . 30 Man-Made Permeable . 31 Bedrock . 32 Sand Beach or Bank . 33 Mixed Sediment Beach or Bank . 34 Pebble/Cobble Beach or Bank . 35 Boulder Beach or Bank . 36 Mud/Clay Bank . 37 Mud Tidal Flat . 38 Sand Tidal Flat. 39 Mixed and Coarse Sediment Tidal Flat. 40 Ice-Rich Tundra Cliff . 41 Ice-Poor Tundra Cliff. 42 Sediment Cliff . 43 Driftwood . 44 Snow and Ice. 45 Marsh. 46 Peat Shoreline . 47 Innundated Low-Lying Tundra . 48 Vegetated Bank . 49 Supratidal and Backshore Types 50 Forest. 50 Herbaceous . 50 Ice-Wedge Polygons . 50 Natural Barren Surface . 50 Shrubland . 51 Swamp . 51 Tundra . 51 Water Bodies. 51 Glossary of Terms . 52 Environmental Sensitivity Maps 53 Beaufort Region Key Map. 53 ESI Maps . 53 ESI Atlas Components. 54 Incorporation of Inuvialuit Traditional Knowledge . 55 Works Cited 56 Photo References 57 Appendix A – List of Species 58 Appendix B – Species at Risk 61 Appendix C – Shoreline Summary 62 7 INTRODUCTION PROJECT BACKGROUND and other sources has been used. Note: This Atlas is by no means intended to be an exhaustive biological resource atlas for the region. The primary objective of this Atlas is to provide a synthesis of environmen- tal information relevant to the planning and implementation of oil-spill Oil-spill cleanup methods are introduced in this Atlas. These are intended countermeasures in coastal areas of the Beaufort Sea. This Atlas is intend- for use in the decision process as an aid to the selection of appropriate, ed to be used as a link between the environmental characteristics of the practical and feasible oil-spill response strategies and techniques. Each oil region and the practical considerations of providing an effective response spill is unique and should be assessed as such. The oil-spill cleanup section to marine oil spills. The Atlas is not meant to be a comprehensive oil-spill is not a technical manual. Technical experts should be consulted to advise manual. on the application of strategies and techniques for local environmental conditions and for the specific type of oil that is spilled. In 2009 Environment Canada’s Landscape Science Division and Environ- mental Emergencies Division initiated a project focused on providing a FORMATS AND DaTA PRESENTATION priori baseline coastal information for the Canadian Arctic in order to sup- port a range of coastal planning activities, including oil-spill response and This Atlas has been produced in three different formats to maximize acces- clean-up efforts. This project known as ‘eSPACE’ (emergency Spatial Pre- sibility to users in varying situations. SCAT for Arctic Coastal Ecosystems; SCAT: Shoreline Cleanup and Assess- ment Technique) carried out detailed shoreline mapping for the Beaufort y A large-format hard-copy printed atlas displaying a series of coast- region along with various other arctic study areas, and as well, developed al sensitivity maps and general geographic information for the Beau- shoreline characteristic mapping methods based on satellite imagery in-