Project Outline
Objectives:
Through invertebrate monitoring, provide the necessary data and information to address key questions (see the JOSM Question(s) addressed below) related to the effects of OS development on the environmental and ecological integrity of the Athabasca, Peace and Slave River mainstems, small tributary streams and rivers (including southern operations), and downstream deltaic wetland/lake complexes.
Key Outcomes:
Information on reach specific and regional impacts of oil sands development on aquatic ecosystem health, using macro-invertebrates as indicators and end-points, and to further inform assessment of cumulative effects.
Geographic Scope:
Core Biomonitoring Plan
- Athabasca Mainstem – 17 sampled over a 3-year cycle (11 cobble sites plus 6 sand sites)
The design identifies 6 core cobble and 5 core sand substrate locations. The core cobble and sand substrate would be sampled each year. Another 5 cobble sites would be sampled once every 3 years. The sampling design would include the following effort:
- Core cobble sites sampled annually (M0, M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9).
- Core sand sites sampled annually (M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9). (N.B.: M0 does not have appropriate sand substrate.)
- Up to 2 of the remaining 5 cobble substrate study sites sampled each year until the remaining 5 sites are sampled (3 year duration)
- Data collected:
- Benthic Invertebrate Sample
- Water Quality / YSI grab samples
- Sediment Quality grab samples
- Core Drivers as determined from data analysis
- Methods used
- CABIN 400 um mesh 3 minute kick sampling approach at 5 locations within each study reach
- Supporting habitat measures as per OS field sheet
- Support required from Water Quality Core program – 6 EC sites
- Four of the 6 EC sites sampled monthly to correspond with the 6 Core Mainstem Biomonitoring sites.
These sites may be supplemented with AB water quality monitoring sites.
Example:
Year 1: M0, M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9 (cobble substrate sites), M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9 (sand substrate sites) PLUS cobble substrate at sites M1 and M6 (i.e., 13 total sites composed of 8 cobble plus 5 sand substrate locations). (N.B. Sand substrates are included pending completion of data assessment from 2011-2014. If data assessment suggests annual sampling of sand habitats is unnecessary then sand habitats would be sampled once over a 3-year cycle.)
Year 2: M0, M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9 (cobble substrate sites), M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9 (sand substrate sites) PLUS cobble substrate at sites M3 and M8 (i.e., 13 total sites composed of 8 cobble plus 5 sand substrate locations).
Year 3: M0, M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9 (cobble substrate sites), M2, M3B, M4, M7 and M9 (sand substrate sites) PLUS M7c (i.e., 12 total sites composed of 7 cobble plus 5 sand substrate locations).
- Athabasca Tributaries – Of the total 80 study sites sampled to date, 60 will be designated as core sites to be sampled over a 3-year cycle as follows;
- 30 Cores sites sampled annually and distributed among sites classified as;
- within OS disturbance foot print (n=15; 4 STB, 4 Mac, 4 Ells, 2 Mus, 1 JP)
- reference within OS formation (n=10; 1 STB, 1Mac, 1 Ells, 1 JP, 2 Fir, 2 Bir, 2 Dov) and reference outside OS formation (n=5; 1 STB, 1Mac, 1Ells, 1 Fir, 1Bir)
- 10 of the 30 additional core sites are sampled each year (i.e., for a total of 40 core sites sampled per year) until all 30 remaining sites are sampled (3 year duration).
- Note under biomonitoring focused monitoring, additional sites will be considered upon statistical review of potential data gaps and the addition of further BACI types sites. Sites identified under these evaluations may be added to the total possible study sites and the core sampling design will adapt as these sites are identified and/or the OS disturbance footprint progresses.
- Data collected:
- Benthic Invertebrate Sample
- Water Quality / YSI grab samples
- Sediment Quality grab samples
- Core Drivers as determined from data analysis
- Methods used
- CABIN 400 um mesh 3 minute kick sampling approach
- Supporting habitat measures as per OS CABIN field sheet
- Sites Done Previously by Hatfield – Contractor to be identified through a RFP process
Field collections; data compilation (project-wide) and reporting