ASSESSMENT OF THE FISHERIES RESOURCES AND HABITAT OF AN UNNAMED TRIBUTARY TO ISLE LAKE (BF 09254) FOR A PROPOSED CROSSING REPLACEMENT PROJECT SOUTHEAST OF ENTWISTLE, ALBERTA LOCATED IN NW 18-53-06 W5M. Prepared for: LEX3 Engineering Inc. Calgary, Alberta Prepared by: Pisces Environmental Consulting Services Ltd. Red Deer, Alberta Draft October 2020 Final October 2020 Pisces Environmental Consulting Services Ltd. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 1 2.0 STUDY AREA ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 2.1. WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................................................................... 1 2.2. NATURAL REGION AND LAND USE ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................... 2 3.0 METHODS............................................................................................................................................................ 4 3.1. FISH PRESENCE .................................................................................................................................................... 4 3.2. HABITAT INVENTORY .......................................................................................................................................... 4 3.3. STREAMBANK AND CHANNEL ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 4 3.4. WATER QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................. 4 4.0 RESULTS .............................................................................................................................................................. 5 4.1. FISH PRESENCE .................................................................................................................................................... 5 4.1.1. Species at Risk ................................................................................................................................................. 5 4.2. HABITAT INVENTORY .......................................................................................................................................... 5 4.3. STREAMBANK AND CHANNEL ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 6 4.4. WATER QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................. 7 5.0 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 6.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION ...................................................................... 9 6.1. PROJECT IMPACTS ................................................................................................................................................ 9 6.1.1. Sediment ........................................................................................................................................................ 10 6.1.2. Fish Distribution/Fish Movements ................................................................................................................ 11 6.1.3. Fish Mortality ................................................................................................................................................ 11 6.1.4. Deleterious Substances and Invasive Species ............................................................................................... 11 6.1.5. Habitat Loss/Alteration ................................................................................................................................. 11 6.2. MITIGATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 6.2.1. Construction Timing ...................................................................................................................................... 13 6.2.2. Sediment Control ........................................................................................................................................... 13 6.2.3. Site Isolation .................................................................................................................................................. 14 6.2.4. Fish Distribution/Fish Movements ................................................................................................................ 14 6.2.5. Fish Mortality ................................................................................................................................................ 15 6.2.6. Deleterious Substances and Invasive Species ............................................................................................... 15 6.2.7. Riparian Areas .............................................................................................................................................. 15 6.2.8. Direct Loss or Alteration of Fish Habitat ..................................................................................................... 15 7.0 RESIDUAL IMPACTS ...................................................................................................................................... 16 7.1. SCALE OF NEGATIVE EFFECT ............................................................................................................................. 16 7.2. SENSITIVITY OF FISH AND FISH HABITAT .......................................................................................................... 17 7.3. ANALYSIS OF RISK ............................................................................................................................................. 17 8.0 REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................................ 17 8.1. FISHERIES ACT .................................................................................................................................................. 17 8.2. WATER ACT ...................................................................................................................................................... 18 9.0 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 10.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................... 20 BF 09254 Unnamed Tributary to Isle Lake LEX3 Engineering Ltd. October 2020 Pisces Environmental Consulting Services Ltd. 11.0 CLOSURE ........................................................................................................................................................... 22 12.0 LITERATURE CITED ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Appendix A: Standard Assessment Procedures Appendix B: Habitat Inventory Appendix C: Site Photos Appendix D: Engineered Drawings LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1. Watershed characteristics for the unnamed tributary to Isle Lake located in NW 18-53-06 W5M. ............. 1 Table 4.1. Summary habitat inventory of the unnamed tributary to Isle Lake adjacent to the BF 09254 crossing site located in NW 18-53-06 W5M. ............................................................................................... 6 Table 4.2. Streambank assessment summary for 7 transects at, and adjacent to, the existing crossing on the unnamed tributary to Isle Lake, located in NW 18-53-06 W5M. ................................................................. 7 Table 4.3. Select water chemistry results from the unnamed tributary to Isle Lake located in NW 18-53-06 W5M. ............................................................................................................................................................ 8 Table 6.1. Identified relevant DFO Pathways of Effects for the Project’s instream work, their potential impacts, and location within the report. ........................................................................................................ 9 Table 6.2. Breakdown of footprint associated with the new bridge for the proposed BF 09254 crossing replacement project over an unnamed tributary to Isle Lake. ..................................................................... 12 Table 9.1. Assessment summary. ................................................................................................................................ 19 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. Study Area. .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Figure 7.1. Risk assessment matrix for the assessment of HADD (from DFO 2007). ................................................ 16 BF 09254 Unnamed Tributary to Isle Lake LEX3 Engineering Ltd. October 2020 Pisces Environmental Consulting Services Ltd. 1.0 INTRODUCTION