Appendix L – ENVIRONMENTAL: VEGETATION AND HISTORICAL ...€¦ · May, 2014 nh...

RED DEER RIVER BASIN FLOOD MITIGATION STUDY

Appendix L – Environmental: Vegetation and Historical Resources May, 2014

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– ENVIRONMENTAL: VEGETATION AND Appendix LHISTORICAL RESOURCES

Red Deer River Basin Flood Mitigation Study – Appendix L: Vegetation and Historical Resources

Prepared by: Stantec Consulting Ltd.

May, 2014

RED DEER RIVER BASIN FLOOD MITIGATION STUDY – APPENDIX L: VEGETATION AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES

nh \\cd1206-f09\shared_projects\113929356-rd_river_basin\07_reports_studies\appendix l - environmental_vegetation\rpt_vegetation_2014-05-23.docx i

Table of Contents

1.0 ENVIRONMENTAL: VEGETATION .................................................................................. 1.1 1.1 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: VEGETATION ...................................................................... 1.1

2.0 HISTORICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................. 1 2.1 DEFINITION OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES .......................................................................... 1 2.2 HISTORICAL RESOURCES VALUES – ARCHAEOLOGY ..................................................... 1 2.3 HISTORICAL RESOURCE VALUES – PALAEONTOLOGY .................................................... 2 2.4 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO HISTORICAL RESOURCES .......................................................... 3 2.5 HISTORICAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION ......................................... 4

LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: Plant and Lichen Species Listed Under the Species at Risk Act Occurring within the Vegetation Study Area ........................................................................................................ 1.2 Table 1.2: Rare Plant and Lichen Species on Alberta Conservation Information Management System Lists within the Vegetation Study Area ............................................. 1.4 Table 1.3: ACIMS Rare Ecological Communities within the Vegetation Review Area..... 1.7 Table 1.4: Environmentally Significant Areas within the Vegetation Review Area ........... 1.8

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Vegetation and Wildlife Study Area ...................................................................... 1.3 Figure 1.2: Vegetation Locations from Alberta Conservation Information Management System Database ......................................................................................................................... 1.6


Vegetation May, 2014

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1.0 VEGETATION

1.1 Results and Discussion: Vegetation

A search of the ACIMS database provided all vascular and non-vascular plant species, lichens and ecological communities of management concern reported within the vegetation study area.

Two species listed in Schedule 1 of SARA including tiny cryptanthe (Cryptantha minima) and sand verbena (Tripterocalyx micranthus) occur within the study area (Table 1.1, Figure 1.1). These species have legal protection under SARA.

Tiny cryptantha is an annual dwarf plant (10-20 cm high) with branching stems. The plant has bristly hairs and tiny flowers (less than 1mm) that form on one side toward the ends of uncoiling branches (Kershaw et al., 2001). It grows in xeric or subxeric environments and is found in Alberta in the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion (Environment Canada 2006). In general its habitat is sandy rolling upland terraces or slopes often associated with river valleys (Environment Canada 2006).

One currently known population is located within the study area near the Alberta/ Saskatchewan border. It is considered unlikely that development of dry dams will have an effect on these populations of tiny cryptantha because of the distance between the dry dams and the current known populations.

Sand-verbena is a low growing annual species with trailing stems up to 60 cm long (Kershaw et al 2001) and is adapted to arid growing conditions (Environment Canada 2012). In Alberta it occurs in the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion which is considered to be dry year round, with low precipitation, warm summers and cold winters. Sand verbena is typically found growing on active to semi active sand dunes or blowouts where vegetation is sparse (Environment Canada 2012).

One currently known population is located within the study area near the Alberta/ Saskatchewan border. It is considered unlikely that development of the dry dams will have an effect on these populations of sand-verbena because of the distance between the dry dams and the current known populations.




Table 1.1: Plant and Lichen Species Listed Under the Species at Risk Act Occurring within the Vegetation Study Area

Species SARA Status COSEWIC Status ACIMS Rank No. Of Locations Detected

Cryptantha minima Tiny cryptanthe Endangered Threatened S3? 1

Tripterocalyx micranthus Endangered Endangered S1S2 1 sand verbena

See Appendix M for ACIMS Ranking Information

Appendix L - Figure 1.1: Vegetation and Wildl i fe Study Area

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Sundre

Drumheller

Empress

Linden

Morrin

Munson

Rosemary

Acme

Alix

Beiseker

Carbon

Caroline

Cereal

Clive

Delia

Duchess

BurnstickLake

GullLake

JarvisBay

Youngstown

HalfMoon

Bay

ParklandBeach

BigValley

SunbreakerCove

WhiteSands

Delburne

Rockyford

Cremona

Elnora

Eckville

Bashaw

Bassano

ThreeHills

Oyen

Irricana

Bentley

Rimbey

Trochu

SylvanLake

Bowden

Innisfail

Penhold

Olds

Carstairs

Didsbury

Chestermere

Cross�ield

Strathmore

Blackfalds

Hanna

KneehillCounty

StarlandCounty

M.d. OfAcadiaNo. 34

County OfPaintearth

No. 18

M.d. OfBighorn

No. 8

CypressCounty

County OfNewell

County OfStettler

No. 6

MountainView

County

LacombeCounty

RockyView

County

WheatlandCounty

PonokaCounty

Red DeerCounty

I.d. No. 9(banffN.p.)

ClearwaterCounty

County OfWetaskiwin

No. 10

Hesketh

Erskine

Richdale

AlhambraCondor

Huxley

Jenner

Sunnynook

Bindloss

Byemoor

Nevis

Rowley

Wardlow

Lousana

Springbrook

Cessford

Dickson

Bluffton

Dorothy

Ardley

Craigmyle

MichichiSunnyslope

Endiang

Mirror

Torrington

Joffre

Benalto

Swalwell

Spruce View

Leedale

Patricia

Wimborne

Leslieville

PelicanPoint

Bottrel

Hoadley

Cheadle

Rumsey

Withrow

Redland

Chinook

Iddesleigh

WaterValley

Kathyrn

Madden Wayne

Tees

Dalroy

Haynes

Acadia Valley

EastCoulee

Rosedale

Alingham

S4

S13B

S1C

S5

S6

S14

S9

Completed By: DLDate: 3/31/2014

Project No.:113929356

Red Deer River BasinFlood Recovery Task Force

LegendRed Deer River

Project Limits

Study Area

Rivers/Creeks

Lake

Municipal Boundaries

0 30 6015 Kilometers

Dickson Dam

Calgary




Table 1.2 and Figure 1.2 present rare plants and lichens that are not listed under SARA but are on ACIMS rare plants of Alberta lists that occur within the study area, with the associated ACIMS rank and Alberta general status rank.

These occurrences are currently listed locations in ACIMS database from historical surveys. However, they have not been field verified to determine if the populations still exist. It is also unknown whether there are other rare plant occurrences within the study area where surveys have not been conducted. If dry dams are selected, it is advised that rare plant surveys be conducted within the proposed detention storage site.

Table 1.2: Rare Plant and Lichen Species on Alberta Conservation Information Management System Lists within the Vegetation Study Area

Common Name Scientific Name ACIMS Rank

General Status of Alberta Wild Species 2010 Rank

No. Of Locations Detected

Vascular Plants few-flowered aster Almutaster pauciflorus S2S3 Sensitive 3 bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa S2 May Be At Risk 3

prickly milk vetch Astragalus kentrophyta var. kentrophyta S2 May Be At Risk 3

Powell's saltbush Atriplex powellii S1 Sensitive 4 saltbush Atriplex truncata S1 May Be At Risk 1 common beggarticks Bidens frondosa S2 May Be At Risk 2 Canada brome Bromus latiglumis S1 May Be At Risk 1 umbellata sedge Carex umbellata S2 Undetermined 1 Kelsey's cat's eye Cryptantha kelseyana S1 May Be At Risk 1 waterpod Ellisia nyctelea S2 May Be At Risk 1 nodding umbrella-plant Eriogonum cernuum S2 May Be At Risk 5 narrowleaf umbrella-wort Mirabilis linearis S2? -not ranked 2 marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa S2 May Be At Risk 3 low yellow evening-primrose Oenothera flava S2S3 May Be At Risk 1

little-seed rice grass Oryzopsis micrantha S2 May Be At Risk- 4

smooth sweet cicely Osmorhiza longistylis S2 May Be At Risk 1 clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra S2 May Be At Risk 1 primrose Primula egaliksensis S2 Sensitive 1 annual skeletonweed Shinnersoseris rostrata S2 May Be At Risk 4 prairie wedge grass Sphenopholis obtusata S2 May Be At Risk 1 low townsendia Townsendia exscapa S2 May Be At Risk 1 crowfoot violet Viola pedatifida S2 May Be At Risk 4




Bryophytes aloe-like rigid screw moss Aloina rigida S2 Undetermined 1 curl-leaved fork moss Dicranella crispa S2 Sensitive moss Jaffueliobryum raui S1 Sensitive 1 liverwort Mannia fragrans S1 Not ranked- 3 cuspidate earth moss Phascum cuspidatum S2 Not ranked- 1 moss Pterygoneurum subsessile S2 Undetermined 1 green-cushioned weissia moss Weissia controversa S2 Undetermined 1

Lichens button lichen Buellia badia S1 Not ranked- 1 sand-loving Iceland lichen Cetraria arenaria S1 Sensitive 2 lichen Lecania cyrtella SU Not ranked- 1 disk lichen Lecidella carpathica S1S2 Not ranked- 1 brown-eyed scale Psora tuckermanii S2 Secure 1 rock-posy lichen Rhizoplaca subdiscrepans S1? Not ranked- 1 grain-spored lichen Sarcogyne regularis S1S3 -Not ranked 1 rock pimples Staurothele elenkinii S1 -Not ranked 1

Appendix L - Figure 1.2: Vegetation Locations from AlbertaConservat ion Information Management System Database

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Sundre

Drumheller

Empress

Linden

Morrin

Munson

Rosemary

Acme

Alix

Beiseker

Carbon

Caroline

Cereal

Clive

Delia

Duchess

BurnstickLake

GullLake

JarvisBay

Youngstown

HalfMoon

Bay

ParklandBeach

BigValley

SunbreakerCove

WhiteSands

Delburne

Rockyford

Cremona

Elnora

Eckville

Bashaw

Bassano

ThreeHills

Oyen

Irricana

Bentley

Rimbey

Trochu

SylvanLake

Bowden

Innisfail

Penhold

Olds

Carstairs

Didsbury

Chestermere

Cross�ield

Strathmore

Blackfalds

Hanna

KneehillCounty

StarlandCounty

M.d. OfAcadiaNo. 34

County OfPaintearth

No. 18

M.d. OfBighorn

No. 8

CypressCounty

County OfNewell

County OfStettler

No. 6

MountainView

County

LacombeCounty

RockyView

County

WheatlandCounty

PonokaCounty

Red DeerCounty

I.d. No. 9(banffN.p.)

ClearwaterCounty

County OfWetaskiwin

No. 10

Hesketh

Erskine

Richdale

AlhambraCondor

Huxley

Jenner

Sunnynook

Byemoor

Nevis

Rowley

Wardlow

Lousana

Springbrook

Cessford

Dickson

Bluffton

Dorothy

Ardley

Craigmyle

MichichiSunnyslope

Endiang

Mirror

Torrington

Joffre

Benalto

Swalwell

Spruce View

Leedale

Patricia

Wimborne

Leslieville

PelicanPoint

Bottrel

Hoadley

Cheadle

Rumsey

Withrow

Redland

Chinook

Iddesleigh

WaterValley

Kathyrn

Madden Wayne

Tees

Dalroy

Haynes

Acadia Valley

LinnValley

EastCoulee

Alingham

S4

S13B

S1C

S5

S6

S14

S9

Completed By: DLDate: 3/31/2014

Project No.:113929356

Red Deer River BasinFlood Recovery Task Force

LegendLocation of Species Listed Under the Species At Risk ActRare Plant Community(Cottonwood)

Rare Plant Locations

Red Deer River

Red Deer River Watershed

Study Area

Rivers/Creeks

Lake

Municipal Boundaries

0 30 6015 Kilometers

Dickson Dam

Calgary




Rare ecological communities occurring within the review area are presented in Table 1.3. Two rare ecological community types occurring within the review area that are flood dependent include plains cottonwood / buckbrush woodland (Populus deltoides / Symphoricarpos occidentalis woodland) and plains cottonwood / recent alluvial (Populus deltoides / recent alluvial) (Allen 2013). Both are riparian communities found in the Dry Mixedgrass Subregion (Natural Regions Committee. 2006) on alluvial bars of streams and rivers that have Regosol soils with a layer of silty clay to clay overlying coarse sands or gravels. The plains cottonwood/buckbrush community typically occurs on older alluvial bars and can form extensive stands on major floodplain terraces whereas the plains cottonwood/recent alluvial community occurs on more recent alluvial bars and the community is at an early successional stage. The plains cottonwood/buckbrush community is characterized by a canopy (20 to 90% cover) of plains cottonwood with an understory dominated by buckbrush. The plains cottonwood/recent alluvial community is characterized by seedlings or saplings of plains cottonwood and may also have other cottonwood species present (Populus angustifolia, Populus balsamifera) and typically sandbar willow (Salix exigua). The understory is diverse, commonly with grass and rush species (e.g., Pascopyrum smithii and Scirpus pungens) (Allen 2013).

Establishment, growth and development of cottonwood communities is dependent on flood processes (Bradley and Smith 1986, Rood et al., 1994, Rood et al., 1999). Development of dams upstream has been shown to negatively impact regeneration, growth, and survival of these communities unless management strategies are implemented (Bradley and Smith 1986).

The status of these communities since the flooding in 2013 is unknown. After selection of final project design, it is advised that rare ecological community surveys be conducted and potential project effects on these communities are re-assessed.

Table 1.3: ACIMS Rare Ecological Communities within the Vegetation Review Area

Common Name Scientific Name ACIMS Rank Number of Occurrences

silver sagebrush / wheat grasses - Nuttall's atriplex

Artemisia cana / Pascopyrum smithii - Elymus lanceolatus - Atriplex nuttallii

S2S3 1

silver sagebrush / needle-and-thread - sand grass

Artemisia cana / Stipa comata - Calamovilfa longifolia

S3 1

long-leaved sagewort - bare shale community

Artemisia longifolia bare shale community S1S2 2

water birch grassland riparian shrubland Betula occidentalis grassland riparian shrubland

S2S3 1

round-leaved hawthorn / cow parsnip - common nettle - western Canada violet

Crataegus chrysocarpa / Heracleum lanatum - Urtica dioica - Viola canadensis

S1S2 1

winter-fat / tumble grass ephemeral drainage

Eurotia lanata / Schedonnardus paniculatus ephemeral drainage

SNR 1




Common Name Scientific Name ACIMS Rank Number of Occurrences

plains rough fescue grassland Festuca hallii grassland S1 2

plains cottonwood / recent alluvial Populus deltoides / recent alluvial S1S3 2

plains cottonwood / buckbrush woodland

Populus deltoides / Symphoricarpos occidentalis woodland

S2S3 3

greasewood / Nuttall's atriplex Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex nuttallii S2S3 1

greasewood / western wheat grass shrubland

Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pascopyrum smithii shrubland

S2S3 4

The vegetation study area is within ESAs which are internationally or nationally significant (Table 1.4). Vegetative components of concern within the ESAs include large areas of native vegetation, expanses of intact riparian areas and rare or uncommon plant species.

Table 1.4: Environmentally Significant Areas within the Vegetation Review Area

ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)

Vegetation Component of Conservation Concern

Vegetation Element of Conservational Concern

20 National Rocky Mountain Foothills Boreal

Subalpine Intact riparian areas Liverworts

Upper Foothills

Riparian areas along six major rivers

Anastrophyllum assimile

Alpine Contains large natural areas Anastrophyllum helleranum

Montane

Athalamia hyalina Dry Mixedwood Barbilophozia attenuata

Lower Foothills Barbilophozia quadriloba

Upper Foothills Chiloscyphus pallescens

Cryptocolea imbricata Gymnomitrion corallioides Lophozia grandiretis Lophozia pellucida Mannia fragrans Marsupella commutata Marsupella revoluta Moerckia hibernica Pellia neesiana




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



Sauteria alpina Scapania apiculata Scapania brevicaulis Scapania cuspiduligera Tritomaria scitula Mosses aloe-like rigid screw moss alpine lemming moss Amblyodon dealbatus Amphidium mougeotii Anomobryum filiforme Aongstroemia longipes bent screw moss brown moss Bryobrittonia longipes Bryum algovicum Bryum amblyodon Bryum arcticum Bryum calobryoides Bryum pallens Bryum schleicheri Bryum stirtonii Bryum uliginosum Cirriphyllum cirrosum Conardia compacta Cuspidate earth moss Cynodontium schisti Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides Desmatodon laureri Desmatodon leucostoma Desmatodon systylius Dicranum spadiceum Didymodon asperifolius Didymodon johansenii Didymodon subandreaeoides




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



Donian beardless moss Encalypta brevicolla Encalypta brevipes Encalypta intermedia Froelichian splachnum glaucous shield moss globe-fruited splachnum hairy-leaved beardless moss Homalothecium nevadense Hygroamblystegium tenax Hygrohypnum styriacum Hypnum procerrimum Hypnum recurvatum Jaffueliobryum wrightii large-fruited splachnum maidenhair moss Myurella tenerrima narrow-leaved Chinese phoenix moss Orthothecium intricatum Orthothecium strictum Orthotrichum pallens Orthotrichum pumilum Orthotrichum pylaisii Philonotis marchica Plagiobryum demissum Plagiobryum zieri Pohlia drummondii Pohlia longicolla Porsild's bryum Pseudoleskeella sibirica Racomitrium sudeticum red leaf moss Rhizomnium andrewsianum rigid screw moss Seligeria campylopoda




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



Seligeria subimmersa short-beaked rigid screw moss slender splachnum Splachnoid cyrtodon sun grimmia thread bloom moss Timmia norvegica twisted-leaved grimmia urn-like pogonatum Vascular Plants Alaska willow alpine bladder catchfly alpine braya alpine foxtail alpine harebell alpine saxifrage alpine sedge alpine sweet grass arctic wintergreen ascending grape fern beautiful cotton grass bluegrass Botrychium michiganense Botrychium pinnatum Botrychium spathulatum capitate sedge changeable willow Corymbose everlasting crawe's sedge Draba fladnizensis Drummond's cinquefoil dwarf bulrush dwarf fleabane Engelmann's spike-rush Epilobium lactiflorum flame-colored lousewort




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



Gaston's cliff brake glacier sedge hairy cinquefoil hooker's cinquefoil Huperzia haleakalae Kananaskis whitlow-grass lance-leaved grape fern Lapland reed grass Lapland rose-bay large-flowered lousewort leather grape fern little-seed rice grass Luzula acuminata Macoun's whitlow-grass marsh felwort marsh rush meadow bitter cress Mingan grape fern mountain bladder fern mountain trisetum nodding sedge northern bladderpod one-headed everlasting open sedge Oxytropis campestris var davisii pale blue-eyed grass Papaver radicatum ssp kluanense Parry's sedge Pellaea glabella ssp occidentalis Pellaea glabella ssp simplex pink false dandelion porsild's whitlow-grass primrose purple sweet cicely




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



Rocky Mountain willowherb sand sedge scented everlasting seaside sedge sitka columbine slender-leaved sundew smooth cliff brake smooth woodsia smooth-leaved cinquefoil snow buttercup spiderplant Steller's rock brake stem-clasping arnica Telesonix trifid-leaved fleabane two-glumed rush two-parted sedge wood anemone woolly lousewort Vegetation Communities bog birch / mountain rough fescue limber pine / common bearberry - creeping juniper mountain rough fescue -hairy wild rye mountain rough fescue -tufted hair grass mountain sagewort - tall lungwort - hairy wild rye northern wheat grass -dragonwort - pasture sagewort northern wheat grass - needle and thread grass northern wheat grass - slender wheat grass white spruce / fern moss




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



117 National Grassland Dry Mixedgrass

Contains large natural areas None

Parkland Northern Fescue

Boreal Central Parkland

Rocky Mountain Mixedgrass

Dry Mixedwood Foothills Fescue Montane

288 National Grassland

Dry Mixedgrass

- Intact riparian areas Mosses

Mixedgrass - Riparian areas along the six major rivers

hairy-leaved beardless moss

Northern Fescue

- Large natural areas Pterygoneurum subsessile

Vascular Plants

American pellitory

annual skeletonweed

bur ragweed

chaffweed

Chenopodium desiccatum

clammyweed

common beggarticks

few-flowered aster

green ash

Kelsey's cat's eye

little-seed rice grass

low yellow evening-primrose

nodding umbrella-plant

pale blue-eyed grass

Parry's sedge

prickly milk vetch




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



shrubby evening-primrose

slender mouse-ear-cress

smooth narrow-leaved goosefoot

smooth sweet cicely

tiny cryptanthe

Watson's goosefoot

Vegetation Communities

plains cottonwood / buckbrush

290 National Grassland

Northern Fescue

- Intact riparian areas Liverworts

Mixedgrass - Riparian areas along the six major rivers

Mannia fragrans

- Large natural areas Vascular Plants

- The Rangeland Natural Area low townsendia

marsh muhly Powell's saltbush Watson's knotweed


round-leaved hawthorn / cow parsnip - common

nettle - - western Canada violet

305 International Grassland Dry Mixedgrass

- Intact riparian areas Mosses

- Riparian areas along the six major rivers

aloe-like rigid screw moss

- Large natural areas green-cushioned weissia

- Dinosaur Provincial Park Jaffueliobryum raui

Vascular Plants




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



bushy cinquefoil dwarf woollyheads green ash nodding umbrella-plant saltbush


plains cottonwood / buckbrush

318 National Grassland Dry Mixedgrass

- Intact riparian areas Vascular Plants


bushy cinquefoil

- Large natural areas dwarf woollyheads

- Dinosaur Provincial Park

319 International Grassland Dry Mixedgrass

- Intact riparian areas Vascular Plants


Kelsey's cat's eye

416 National

Parkland Central Parkland - Intact riparian areas Liverworts

Grassland Northern Fescue


Mannia fragrans

- Large natural areas Mosses

- Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park

Cuspidate earth moss

- Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland

Pterygoneurum subsessile

Natural Area Vascular Plants crowfoot violet marsh muhly prairie wedge grass umbellata sedge




ESA ID Number

Significance Rating

Natural Region

Sub-Region(s)



waterpod


plains rough fescue grassland

420 National

Parkland Central Parkland - Intact riparian areas Liverworts

Grassland Northern Fescue


Mannia fragrans


- Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland

cuspidate earth moss

Natural Area Pterygoneurum subsessile Vascular Plants Waterpod Watson's knotweed

421 National Parkland Central Parkland

- Intact riparian areas Liverworts


Mannia fragrans


- Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park

Cuspidate earth moss

Pterygoneurum subsessile Vascular Plants Canada brome crowfoot violet few-flowered aster prairie wedge grass waterpod

Globally, dam operations have caused wide-scale changes to riparian ecosystems (Nillson and Bergrren 2000). Any alterations to the river’s flow regime from operations of current or proposed




dams should include an investigation into its impact on floodplain wetlands which are important for water storage and flood reduction.


Historical Resources May, 2014

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2.0 HISTORICAL RESOURCES

2.1 Definition of Historical Resources In Alberta, historical resources are protected under the Alberta Historical Resources Act, and are defined as precontact, historic, and palaeontological sites and their contents. Certain types of Aboriginal traditional use sites are also considered to be historical resources.

Precontact archaeological sites include remains (e.g., stone tools, butchered bones, fire-broken rock and features such as hearths) resulting from the traditional occupation of Alberta by Aboriginal people before contact with European traders in the late 1700s. Historic archaeological sites can be Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, and date from the time of European contact until approximately 1960. Historic period sites can include structures (e.g. homesteads, cabins, and forts), artifacts (e.g. industrial and folk-manufactured items made of metal, glass, ceramic, stone and other materials) or features (e.g. trails, foundations, depressions and campsites). Traditional use sites are identified in consultation with members of aboriginal communities and may include camping or hunting locales, ceremonial gathering areas, or areas related to spiritual matters. Palaeontological sites are areas where fossils of ancient animals or plants have been preserved.

2.2 Historical Resources Values – Archaeology In Alberta, archaeological sites are found associated with a specific set of landforms, including valley edges, knolls, rivers, lakes and sloughs, which would direct travel, bias routes of communication and enhance or restrict resource procurement and occupation. Although sites can be found in other types of environments, those areas closest to water courses and water bodies are of the highest archaeological potential. As such, the Red Deer River valley and associated tributaries has high potential overall to contain archaeological sites.

Alberta Culture assigns Historic Resource Values (HRVs) to land parcels that contain significant historical resources or are of high potential to contain historic resources. Lands assigned an HRV of 1 contain sites of the highest significance in Alberta; lands with HRVs of 2 and 3 contain very significant sites, and lands with HRVs of 4 contain sites that require ongoing avoidance and/or additional archaeological investigation (such as excavation). Lands assigned an HRV of 5 are considered by Alberta Culture to be of high potential to contain unrecorded historical resources sites.

A review of the Listing of Historic Resources (Alberta Culture, March 2014 edition) indicates that the lands adjacent to the Red Deer River are generally of very high archaeological potential. Between the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and Drumheller, HRVs of 5 have been assigned to essentially all parcels of land adjacent to the Red Deer River. In addition to the HRV 5 lands in this region, numerous lands within 1 km of the river have been designated as HRV 4, indicating the presence of known historical resource sites that require ongoing avoidance and/or additional




archaeological investigation. Several parcels within the 1 km buffer are designated as HRV 3, indicating the presence of very significant sites that will likely require ongoing avoidance. Most of these designated lands contain precontact archaeological sites of significance, including stone feature sites and campsites that contain information significant to the prehistory of the area. Two HRV 1 parcels are present along the Red Deer River just downstream of Drumheller, representing lands that contain historical resources sites (historic period mine and school) of the highest significance in Alberta.

Upstream of Drumheller, the archaeological potential is somewhat lower based on current knowledge, but this area still contains a number of parcels of lands designated as HRV 4 and 5 within a 1 km buffer of the Red Deer River, as well as several parcels designated as HRV 3, including significant precontact bison pound sites/campsites. Within Red Deer itself, several historic structures and associated lands have been assigned HRVs of 1, 2 and 3, and HRVs 4 and 5 are also present. Fewer HRV lands are present upstream of Red Deer, which may reflect overall lower archaeological potential but likely also reflects the limited amount of archaeological study that has taken place in this region. Along the Red Deer River and the Little Red Deer River, several HRV 4 and 5 designations are present, again representing precontact archaeological sites that require further study prior to any impact.

2.3 Historical Resource Values – Palaeontology The Red Deer River has the highest palaeontological significance of any river in Alberta. Numerous fossil sites are exposed along the valley slopes and adjacent badlands with dinosaur bearing strata exposed south and east of Alix. The rocks to the west are younger and contain key sites in the province for early mammals and Paleocene fish and plants. The margins and adjacent coulees of the Red Deer River valley from the Alberta-Saskatchewan border to near Jenner are HRV 5, indicating high potential for the identification of palaeontological resources within the eroding valleys. Starting north of Jenner (Twp 22, Range 9) and extending to north of Highway 36, the lands are designated as having extremely high significance. Dinosaur Park World Heritage Site is designated as HRV 1, reflecting the large number of exceptional fossil sites and extremely high palaeontological potential and significance of this area. Lands surrounding the Park to the south, west and east are all designated with HRVs of 3, reflecting additional significant sites and high palaeontological potential, including a large number of land parcels in the badlands adjacent to the Red Deer River valley. Upstream of the Highway 36 crossing and extending past Red Deer to Gleniffer Lake, the lands along the Red Deer River continue to be designated with HRVs of 3, 4 and 5. The Drumheller region has many dinosaur localities, which continue upstream to hot spots at Trochu and Dry Island Buffalo Jump. The Red Deer area also contains many significant fossil sites, designated as HRV 3. For example, the valley slopes around Joffre Bridge (Highway 11) contain exceptional mammal, fish and plant localities that are more than 50 million years old. There is also an HRV 3 early mammal locality at the east end of Gleniffer Lake, which was discovered during construction of the Dickson Dam.




Upstream of Gleniffer Lake and the Dickson Dam, palaeontological potential is lower based on current knowledge. No lands with HRVs are present along the Red Deer River or the Little Red Deer River upstream of the dam. However, this lack of HRV lands is likely not a reflection of a lack of palaeontological resources, but exposures are more limited in this region and little exploration has taken place.

2.4 Potential Impacts to Historical Resources Due to the fact that precontact archaeological, historical, palaeontological and traditional land use sites represent discrete episodes of past activities, they are non-renewable and, therefore, are susceptible to alteration or removal by development. Precontact and historical archaeological resources comprise residues of past cultures. Although the cultural entities responsible for deposition of the archaeological material are unavailable for observation, the preserved context and associations in which the remains functioned can reveal many clues about past human behaviour, adaptations and relationships to the natural world. The key to the interpretation of these resources, however, is in their pattern of cultural deposition, which is extremely fragile, ephemeral and the product of unique processes and conditions of preservation. Consequently, once they are disturbed, they cannot be replaced, recreated or restored. Due to the nature of their origin and preservation, archaeological resources are finite in quantity. As a result, archaeological resources are increasingly susceptible to destruction and depletion through natural and cultural disturbances. Similarly, palaeontological resources have limited value outside of their stratigraphic context.

Direct effects on historical resources sites could occur as a result of construction activities related to dam construction, spillway, diversion canal or dyke construction, increases in capacity of existing dams (eg. Dickson Dam), and from construction of associated infrastructure. Direct effects during reservoir preparation (vegetation clearing and topsoil salvage) will result in destruction of historical resources sites (archeological and historic period sites, which are near surface) within the construction and reservoir zone. Depending on the nature of the construction in a given area, destruction of palaeontological sites (which are often more deeply buried but exposed in valley walls) could also occur. As palaeontological sites are often exposed in cutbanks and other eroding areas, they are susceptible to loss/serialization by bank stabilization efforts such as cutting back a slope or covering it in rip-rap.

Indirect effects within the areas above the full supply level of the reservoir may include soil erosion or slumping and biochemical changes to soils. Reservoir dams will impact historical resources during the original flooding of the area after completion of the dam, but also during periods where water levels are raised or lowered. However, retention dams and detention dams will have the same effects; once water is contained in the dam, historical resources sites are impacted and destroyed. A palaeontological site that is covered by water in a reservoir is considered to be lost. Related negative effects of reservoirs may occur as a result of increased erosion and as a result of increased human presence.




2.5 Historical Resources Management and Mitigation Once project components are designed and construction and flood level footprints are developed, historical resources will need to be considered under the Alberta Historical Resources Act. The following tasks would be undertaken in order to mitigate impacts:

high level review to identify known historical resources sites that are located within the construction footprint and within the high water level footprint of reservoirs, and to identify the potential for unrecorded sites to be present though archival research and a review of relevant maps and datasets.

field studies on the construction footprint and on all lands within the high water level footprint of reservoirs to revisit known historical resources sites, and to identify unrecorded historical resources sites that could be impacted.

design and implementation of a historical resources mitigation program to adequately study all recorded historical resources sites and fossil localities prior to any potential impacts, and to monitor the effects of the flood mitigation project on historical resources after completion of construction.

All scopes of work will be determined by Alberta Culture though the issuance of Historical Resources Act requirements. Once all effects relative to impacts on historical resources have been mitigated to the satisfaction of Alberta Culture, they will issue Historical Resources Act clearance for construction to proceed.

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Appendix L – ENVIRONMENTAL: VEGETATION AND HISTORICAL ...€¦ · May, 2014 nh...

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