Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) Registration for the ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REGISTRATION FOR THE NEPISIGUIT FALLS GENERATING STATION MODIFICATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT • the New Brunswick Water Quality Regulation of the Clean Environment Act. The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), and the New Brunswick Endangered Species Act are also potentially relevant to the Aquatic Environment, where such species are found to be present in the LAA. 4.3.1.6 Residual Environmental Effects Rating Criteria A significant adverse residual environmental effect on the Aquatic Environment is defined as a Project-related environmental effect that results in any of the following: • an unmitigated or non-compensated loss of fish habitat as defined under the Fisheries Act and associated DFO policies regarding the management of and compensation for loss of fish habitat; • a Project-related destruction of fish that was not authorized under Section 32 of the Fisheries Act; • a Project-related alteration or release that would contravene New Brunswick environmental legislation, including: o o an alteration to the watercourse or the riparian zone within 30 m of the watercourse that is not given approval under the Watercourse and Wetland Alteration Regulation – Clean Water Act, or a degradation of water quality or release of a contaminating substance that would constitute water pollution as defined in the Water Quality Regulation – Clean Environment Act. 4.3.2 Existing Aquatic Environment Note: Where both imperial and metric measurements have been provided, imperial measurements will prevail. Metric conversions have been approximately converted for reference only; elevations in this report are related to a site datum that does not correspond precisely with sea level. To convert from the NB Power Nepisiguit Falls Datum to NB MSL Datum (NAD83), add 1.917 m (6.2899 ft). The PDA is located in northeastern New Brunswick near the community Bathurst Mines, in Gloucester County. The NFGS is located approximately 37 km upstream of Bathurst at Nepisiguit Falls on the Nepisiguit River (Figure 1.1). The Nepisiguit River watershed has an approximate drainage area of 1,810 km 2 . The minimum flow through the NFGS is 8.5 m 3 /s (300 cfs) (Generation In-Plant Procedure No. NFOP0002; NB Power 2010a) which was set in consultation with DFO, in order to maintain flow downstream of the NFGS. Page 48 June 15, 2011
REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REGISTRATION FOR THE NEPISIGUIT FALLS GENERATING STATION MODIFICATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT The river reach impounded by the NFGS (i.e., the headpond) is approximately 4 km long and 90 m to 160 m wide. The headpond has a surface area, at full supply level, of approximately 56 ha. Below the falls, a river width of 70 m to 110 m is common, although narrower sections of 25 m to 50 m width are found in areas where river grades are steeper. River widths of 70 m to 100 m are also common in the reach above the headpond. The river is for the most part bedrock controlled, and quite shallow, except near the generating station where the forebay has been artificially deepened in order to provide a small amount of water storage, as well as hydraulic head for power generation. The spillway dam has a sill at approximately 96.0 m (315 ft) elevation in relation to the NFGS site datum. Normal operating range of the headpond during the summer months is approximately 104.1 m to 104.2 m (341.5 ft to 342 ft), with the minimum operating level of 103.9 m (341 ft) and a maximum headpond elevation of approximately 105.5 m (346 ft)—with all measurements in relation to the NFGS site datum. The headpond elevation with the main rubber dam deflated would be approximately 100.9 m (331 ft), which would be similar to the natural the run-of-theriver elevation. This indicates a normal (operating) water depth of at approximately 3.4 m (11 ft) at the face of the spillway dam. Assuming that the river bed in some areas may be as much as 2 m below the sill at the spillway, the normal water depth in the deepest parts of the headpond is not likely to be greater than about 6 m. In 1969, a spill of waste from the former Bathurst Iron Mine into the Nepisiguit River just upstream from the NFGS resulted in a large kill of juvenile salmon in the lower portion of the river. Salmon catches between 1970 and 1975 appear to have been substantially depressed; however, the river appears to have recovered by 1980 (based on data presented in Locke et al. 1997). Research of existing documentation, and consultation with DFO as well as local fisheries groups, was undertaken to confirm the fish community present in the Nepisiguit River. The Nepisiguit River is Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) bearing downstream of the falls; however, the falls present a natural barrier to fish passage and no anadromous species are found upstream of the falls or the NFGS. The species assemblage above the NFGS consists of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and various other coarse fish species such as dace and minnow (R. Baker, pers. comm. 2010; DFO 2010; Scott and Crossman 1998). Additionally, American eel (Anguilla rostrata) are likely able to navigate the dam and falls as elvers and are known to be upstream of the facilities (R. Baker, pers. comm. 2010; DFO 2010; Scott and Crossman 1998). There is no known presence of smallmouth bass in this reservoir, unlike other larger reservoirs in the province (Hatch 2008; R. Baker, pers. comm. 2010). Brook trout are reported to overwinter in the headpond, but move upstream in May-June to occupy better habitat during the summer, and in preparation for spawning in the fall (R. Baker, pers. comm. 2010). There is a brook trout fishery in and upstream of the headpond during May- June 15, 2011 Page 49
Page 1: Revised Project Description and Env
Page 4 and 5: REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENV
Page 16 and 17: Boom Headpond Main Dam and Sluicewa
Page 93 and 94: View of the Spillway Dam Showing Wo
Page 95 and 96: Client: New Brunswick Power Corpora
Page 97: Client: New Brunswick Power Corpora
Page 102 and 103:
Scale: Job No.: Figure No.: Cross S
Page 104 and 105:
Spillway Concrete Repair Works Plan
Page 106 and 107:
Scale: Job No.: Drawing No.: Plan V
Page 108 and 109:
Cross Section of the Rubber Dam Dra
Page 110 and 111:
Scale: Job No.: Drawing No.: Plan V
Page 112 and 113:
REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENV
Page 114 and 115:
Brunswick PERMIT FOR WATERCOURSE AN
Page 116:
DOCUMENT "A" Attached to ALT 31667'
show all

Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) Registration for the ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?