Water activities in oil sands monitoring work plans 2014 to 2015
Table 3: water implemenation plan activities
Acronyms
- ESRD
-
Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
- EC
-
Environment Canada
-
WBEA
-
Wood Buffalo Environmental Association
- LICA
-
Lakeland Industry and Community Association
- ABMI
-
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
- BAM
-
The Boreal Avian Modelling Project - University of Alberta
- DU
-
Ducks Unlimited Canada
- EMCLA
-
Ecological Monitoring Committee for the Lower Athabasca
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream water quality | ||
| Mainstream water quality monitoring | EC | $3,342,550 |
| Continue and increase comparability studies and laboratory round-robin | ESRD | |
| Collection and analysis of Athabasca LTRN (5 sites - M0, M2, M9) (ESRD in-kind) | ESRD | |
| Collection and analysis of Athabasca MTRN (M8) (ESRD in-kind) | ||
| Collection and analysis of Athabasca LTRN enhancements (initiate WQ at M1; M2 additional transect samples) | ESRD | |
| Tributary water quality | ||
| Event-based sampling and analysis spring freshet (Steepbank, Ells, Firebag, Muskeg, MacKay) daily | ||
| Tributary Monitoring Program (Steepbank, Ells, Firebag, Muskeg, MacKay) sampling and analysis (Reconcile with Athabasca River Contaminant Loading done by ESRD) | EC | $1,212,440 |
| Athabasca River Contaminant Loading - Tributaries (Steepbank, Ells, Firebag, Muskeg, MacKay, Clearwater) monthly sampling and analysis (Reconcile with EC Tributary Program) | ESRD | $727,500 |
| Muskeg River water quality monthly sampling and analysis | ESRD | $727,500 |
| Water quality | ||
| Mainstem water quality - Collection and analysis of samples at 4 mainstem sites (ATR-DC, ATR-SR, ATR-MR, ATR-DD); establish continuity of data; management, QA/QC, reporting | ||
| Tributary water quality - Monthly water quality sampling, analysis and reporting 5 sites (MU-1, PO-1, MA-2, CH-1, CL-3); Seasonal water quality sampling, analysis and reporting at 17 sites; Fall water quality sampling, analysis and reporting at 33 sites | Hatfield | $990,177 |
| Expanded Geography Water Quality | EC | |
| Oil sands contaminants | ||
| Chemical / Biological Contaminant Source Attribution | EC | $283,400 |
| Surface water/groundwater | ||
| Surface groundwater interactions (Steepbank, Ells, Firebag, Muskeg) | EC | $357,000 |
| Geophysical shallow groundwater assesments in the Mackay River catchment - links to Representatives Sub-basin Studies and establishes the extent of groundwater/surface water connectivity | EC | $190,000 |
| Continue monitoring of existing North Athabasca Oil Sands Area network (ESRD to continue to Fund $300k) | ESRD | |
| South Athabasca Oil Sands Area Groundwater Network | ||
| Climate and hydrology (RAMP) monitoringFootnote1 | ||
| Field activities | Hatfield | $1,825,258 |
| Management, QA/QC, reporting | Hatfield | $399,426 |
| Hydrometric monitoring | EC-WSC | $642,250 |
| WCS hydrometric network; audit of RAMP stations to verify data comparability | EC-WSC | |
| ESRD hydrometric and meteorological work | ESRD | |
| Regional Hydrology and Hydrological/Hydraulic Modelling | EC | $602,950 |
| Regional hydrology and hydrological/hydraulic modelling | ||
| Hydro-climatology |
||
| Hydrological/Hydraulic modelling | ||
| River ice dynamics | ||
| Sediments/Dynamics/Transport | ||
| Monitoring sediment dynamics/Transport/Chemistry - tributaries | EC | $277,875 |
| Sediment monitoring at M3 | EC-WSC | $100,000 |
| Paleo-coring - Regional lakes | EC | $476,340 |
| River sediment Quality sampling and analysis (RAMP) - captured in the Aquatic Ecosystem health |
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstem benthos | ||
| Sample collection and interpretation of data and chemical analysis | EC |
$755,500 |
| Lower Athabasca River zoobenthos methods comparison | ||
| Sample collection and interpretation of data | ||
| Tributary benthos | ||
| CABIN sample collection (fall) and interpretation of data and chemical analysis | EC | $731,750 |
| Analysis of data in order to standardize methods | ESRD/EC |
$189,633 |
| Extended Geography - Deltaic Ecosystem Health |
EC | $593,750 |
| Biological water quality and sediment sampling and associated analysis in Peace Athabasca Delta and Slave Delta.(linkage to Biodiversity contaminants) | ||
| ESRD/Hatfield Benthos and Sediment | Hatfield | $795,281 |
| Benthos (Ekman) and sediment sampling, analysis and reporting at 4 mainstem sites; benthos (Hess and Ekman) and sediment sampling, analysis and reporting at 38 sites |
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
| Snow and atmospheric deposition | ||
| Atmospheric Deposition Program; snow chemistry |
EC/ESRD | $907,000 |
| Sampling, analysis- co-sampling QA/QC | ESRD | |
| Snow modelling | ESRD |
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
| Wild fish health | ||
| Wild fish - Mainstem and tributaries |
EC |
$724,000 |
| Monitor fish populations | ||
| Spring Athabasca fish inventory | Hatfield |
$69,385 |
| Spring clearwater fish inventory |
Hatfield |
$30,868 |
| Summer Athabasca fish inventory |
Hatfield |
$69,385 |
| Summer clearwater fish inventory |
Hatfield |
$30,868 |
| Fall Athabasca fish inventory |
Hatfield |
$79,569 |
| Fall clearwater fish inventory |
Hatfield |
$30,868 |
| Regional lakes fish tissue - Mercury |
Hatfield |
$17,497 |
| Tributary Fish Assemblage Program |
Hatfield |
$129,195 |
| Athabasca River Trout-Perch Sentinel Program | ||
| Athabasca River fish tissue |
Hatfield |
$25,732 |
| Delta fish assemblage monitoring |
Hatfield |
$63,399 |
| Management, QA/QC, reporting |
Hatfield |
$158,476 |
| Community-based monitoring - Fish |
EC | $211,681 |
| Terteriary watershed sampling (includes streams and lakes) 10 watersheds / year |
ESRD | $48,500 |
| Fish/invertebrate toxicology; mussel toxicology; invertebrate, naphthenic acid toxicology; invertebrate toxicology |
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
| Acid-Sensitive Lakes | ||
| Align work under RAMP with results from assessment and lake surveys (to be completed by end of 2015) | Hatfield | $105,775 |
| Acid Sensitive Lakes Program - metals analysis | ||
| Acid Sensitive Lake Monitoring Program | $59,000 |
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
| Representative Sub-basin Studies/process integration/modelling (Ells/Steepbank/Muskeg); data QA/QC with standardized protocols | EC/ESRD |
$91,000 |
| Development of a monitoring proposal for wetlands and implementation of initial identified activities | EC/ESRD |
$200,000 |
| Development of a monitoring proposal for deep groundwater work and implementation of initial identified activities | EC/ESRD | $200,000 |
| Commitment for 2014 to 2015 | Proposed responsible organization | Approved budget |
|---|---|---|
Administration of contracts to Hatfield for aquatic monitoring Special note: Directors and Co-Chairs agreed to support WBEA for managing the aquatic monitoring contract to Hatfield. |
$150,000 | |
Sub-sub-total
|
$18,950,000
|