Elaine Briere - MVLWB From: Walbourne, Rick - PDF document

Elaine Briere - MVLWB From: Walbourne, Rick [Rick.Walbourne@DFO-MPO.GC.CA] Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 5:35 PM To: permits@mvlwb.com; shayden@mvlwb.com Stacey [Yel] Lambert; Simon_Toogood@gov.nt.ca; Robert Jenkins; Cc: Terence.Hughes@paramountres.com; Erica Bonhomme; Sawdon, Lorraine J; Hanna, Bruce; Cott, Pete; McPherson, Morag Subject: MV2010L1-0001: DFO Public Hearing Presentation DFO intervention_PARAMOUNT_21jul10.pdf Attachments: Hi Shannon, Please find DFO presentation for public hearing attached. Enjoy your weekend, Rick 1

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Water Licence Intervention for Paramount Resources Ltd’s Type A Water Licence Application for Cameron Hills, NWT Rick Walbourne July 27-28, 2010 Fish Habitat Biologist Yellowknife, NT 1

Overview •DFO Mandate •Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data - Quantities Per Source - Intake Screens •Watercourse Crossings - Mitigation Measures - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan •Monitoring and Reporting •Conclusion 2

DFO Mandate • DFO is responsible for fish and fish habitat as outlined under the Fisheries Act . 3

Overview •DFO Mandate •Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data - Quantities Per Source - Intake Screens •Watercourse Crossings - Mitigation Measures - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan •Monitoring and Reporting •Conclusion 4

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data 5

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data • Bathymetry is a contour map of a water body. • Bathymetry is important to enable accurate estimates of lake water volumes needed to ensure water withdrawals comply with the DFO winter water withdrawal protocol. 6

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data • DFO Protocol for Winter Water Withdrawal from Ice-Covered Water Bodies in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (June 2010). • To mitigate impacts to fish and provide standard guidance. 7

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data • Paramount has stated that they believe that bathymetric data provided exceeds requirements of protocol. • DFO has concluded that information provided for Water Sources 1-3 is sufficient. • Additional information has yet to be provided for Water Source 4. 8

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data • Data was obtained in 2002, operations planned until 2027. •Multiple activities over multiple sources • Operations conducted year-round, not limited to winter operations. 9

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data RECOMMENDATION #1 • All water sources should follow the DFO water withdrawal protocol including Water Source 4 and any future sources. 10

Water Withdrawal – Bathymetric Data RECOMMENDATION #2 • The Board request updated bathymetric data from Paramount over the life of the Water Licence. 11

Overview •DFO Mandate •Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data - Quantities Per Source - Intake Screens •Watercourse Crossings - Mitigation Measures - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan •Monitoring and Reporting •Conclusion 12

Water Withdrawal - Quantities • Paramount has indicated that while they can’t determine projected water withdrawal, they will follow the 10% withdrawal limit outlined in the DFO protocol. • Fish populations may be source specific. • Per source approach is consistent with protocol 13

Water Withdrawal – Quantities RECOMMENDATION #3 • DFO recommends that the Water Licence limit quantities on a per source basis as opposed to a per activity or overall limit and that Paramount report on these quantities to the Board on an annual basis to assist in tracking water use. 14

Water Withdrawal Quantities – Streams 15 PICTURE HERE

Water Withdrawal Quantities - Streams • Paramount indicates that if streams are needed for withdrawal that 10% of instantaneous flow will not be exceeded as per existing operational statements. 16

Water Withdrawal Quantities - Streams • Streams are especially susceptible to water withdrawal. • Winter conditions exacerbate impacts. • Protocol specific to water bodies. • Site-by-site assessment. 17

Water Withdrawal Quantities – Streams RECOMMENDATION #4 • DFO recommends that a condition in the Water Licence limits water withdrawal to 10% of instantaneous flow • Notification and reporting should be provided when streams are proposed as water sources 18

Overview •DFO Mandate •Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data - Quantities Per Source - Intake Screens •Watercourse Crossings - Mitigation Measures - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan •Monitoring and Reporting •Conclusion 19

Water Withdrawal - Intake Screens 20

Water Withdrawal - Intake Screens • Paramount has stated that “water is withdrawn according to Freshwater Intake End-of-Pipe Fish Screen Guidelines ( DFO, 1995)”. • Fisheries Act – Section 30. • Mitigation measure of EA03-005. 21

Water Withdrawal – Intake Screens RECOMMENDATION #5 • DFO recommends that the Water Licence include a condition requiring adherence to the Freshwater Intake End-of-Pipe Fish Screen Guidelines. 22

Overview •DFO Mandate •Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data - Quantities Per Source - Intake Screens •Stream Crossings and Erosion - Mitigation Measures - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan •Monitoring and Reporting •Conclusion 23

Stream Crossings and Erosion 24

Stream Crossings and Erosion • Paramount does not currently know the locations of future crossings as locations of future well sites are undetermined. • DFO concurs that crossings can be reviewed during Land Use Permit applications however standard conditions can be implemented through the Water Licence. 25

Stream Crossings and Erosion • DFO believes the inclusion of mitigation measures and the development of erosion and sediment control plan to be best management practices. • Erosion and sediment control is vital in ensuring the protection of fish and fish habitat. 26

Stream Crossings and Erosion RECOMMENDATION #6 • DFO recommends that the Water Licence include standard sediment and erosion control conditions related to stream crossings including mitigation measures outlined in DFO’s various operational statements. 27

Stream Crossings and Erosion RECOMMENDATION #7 • DFO recommends that the Water Licence require submission of a Sediment and Erosion Control Plan. 28

Stream Crossings and Erosion 1. Mitigation Measures 2. Timing and Techniques 3. Zone of Impact 4. Stabilization 5. Maintenance of Riparian Vegetation 6. Contingency Planning 7. Maintenance and Monitoring 29

Stream Crossings and Erosion Egg Smothering 30

Stream Crossings and Erosion Embeddedness 31

Stream Crossings and Erosion Sight Impediment 32

Stream Crossings and Erosion Gill Abrasion 33

Overview •DFO Mandate •Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data - Quantities Per Source - Intake Screens •Watercourse Crossings - Mitigation Measures - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan •Monitoring and Reporting •Conclusion 34

Monitoring and Reporting • Stream crossings can be a source of sedimentation to streams. • Cameron Hills operations has multiple crossing types. • Various potential impacts to fish and fish habitat. 35

Monitoring and Reporting • Paramount currently using Streamkeepers Handbook. • Paramount feels that a more detailed monitoring plan would provide little information regarding any potential impact as there is no point source discharge. 36

Monitoring and Reporting • DFO believes that Streamkeepers Handbook is currently being used incorrectly at Cameron Hills. 37

Monitoring and Reporting • Monitoring needs to be reported to ensure that mitigation measures are functioning as intended and capture environmental variation over time. •AEMP Guidelines provide consistency and incorporate expectations of regulators and communities alike •Scale of predicted impacts = Scale of monitoring 38

Monitoring and Reporting RECOMMENDATION #8 • DFO recommends that TSS and turbidity sampling occur near stream crossings. • Tied into existing monitoring. • Upstream and downstream of crossings. 39

Monitoring and Reporting RECOMMENDATION #9 • DFO recommends that the results be reported annually including an updated map of crossings. 40

Monitoring and Reporting RECOMMENDATION #10 • DFO recommends that monitoring plans be structured as suggested in existing AEMP guidelines. • AEMPs provide information and data to manage and mitigate effects of development projects • Methodologies outlined in the Streamkeepers Handbook could be integrated. 41

Conclusion DFO believes that fish Water Withdrawal - Bathymetric Data and fish habitat will be - Quantities Per Source better protected if the - Intake Screens recommendations Watercourse Crossings - Mitigation Measures outlined here are - Erosion and Sediment implemented as Control Plan Monitoring and Reporting conditions of the Water Licence 42

Questions? 43