Fen Access Road Construction and Operation Mitigation Plan and Ongoing Monitoring
Gen7 was retained to develop a construction and operation mitigation plan for an access road crossing a fen on a First Nation Reserve. Gen7 worked with the client, the First Nation and Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) to design the road, construction mitigation measures and ongoing monitoring to help ensure impacts of the road are avoided, minimized and mitigated. Gen7’s work included:
- Characterized the wetland as per the Canadian Wetland Classification System and the Alberta Wetland Classification System;
- Conducted an environmental assessment and biophysical inventories determine all potential environmental impacts (vegetation, wildlife, wetlands, waterbodies, surface water, ground water / water table)
- Conducted hydrological investigation to characterize water table (groundwater) flow and confirm drainage infrastructure was located correctly and sufficient;
- Designing the access road to avoid stripping of organic soil, and avoid impacts to natural drainage;
- Proposed construction and operation mitigation measures;
- Monitored construction of the access road to ensure mitigation measures were adhered to;
- Designed ongoing hydrological, hydrogeological and biological monitoring program:
- Annual amphibian inventories
- Wildlife inventories
- Vegetation plot monitoring
- Prohibited noxious and noxious weed inventories and management
- Ground water / water table quality assessment and monitoring
- Surface water monitoring
- Erosion control and sedimentation measure monitoring
- Spirit level measurements of road and surface water
- IOGC audit of surface lease to meet IOGC expectations and standards
