Possible Implications of Pipeline Construction in Canada
Photo courtesy of: the Beaufort-Mackenzie Mineral
Development Area
Natural
gas has become a necessity of life for many humans in North America,
but
the implications of this amenity upon the environment are often times
overlooked.
The Mackenzie Gas Project proposes to build 1,300 km of pipeline along
the
Mackenzie River valley in order to connect three onshore gas facilities
with markets in North America (Mackenzie Gas Project PIP, 2003). This
pipeline
will cross more than 500 bodies of water throughout its course from the
Mackenzie Delta to northwestern Alberta (Mackenzie Gas Project PIP,
2003),
and will travel alongside the Mackenzie River for the majority of its
route.
The construction of a pipeline adjacent to bodies of water, as well as
the
in-stream construction necessary for more than 500 water crossings, will undoubtedly pose threats and impacts to the
Mackenzie
River ecosystem. This river ecosystem
is important for many species of fish, the native inhabitants of the
area, and for the general biodiversity of the boreal forest . This
webpage will examine the possible implications of the proposed
Mackenzie natural gas pipeline to
fish and fish habitat in the Mackenzie River system.
This webpage will provide a source of unbiased information regarding the potential impacts of these types of projects on local fish populations. It will examine the following topics:
1. Implications of the pipeline crossings
2. Basic fish functions and the possible impacts of sedimentation
on fish populations
3. Minimizing impacts
THE MACKENZIE RIVER ECOSYSTEM:
The Mackenzie River is the longest River in Canada. It flows northwest for approximately 1,800 km from Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada, through the Mackenzie Delta and into the Arctic Ocean (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2003), and is heavily forested most of the way.The Mackenzie River is currently the largest source of sediment deposition into the Arctic Ocean (Yunker et al. 2002), depositing more than 100 million tons of sediment each year (Canada’s Aquatic Environments 2003). Although it is the largest river system in Canada, draining 1/5 of Canada's area (Great Canadian Rivers 2003),it is also the most remote and the least developed (Great Canadian Rivers 2003).
The aboriginal inhabitants of the Northwest Territories depend on fishing as one of their most important cultural, social, and economic activities (Northwest Territories Resources 2003). The Mackenzie River has been a source of fish harvesting for these aboriginals for centuries (Day 1998). Any negative impacts incurred to local fish populations through the installment of the proposed Mackenzie natural gas pipeline may have serious implications to the livelihood of the native inhabitants of the area.
Additionally, many sensitive and/or threatened fish inhabit the waters of the Mackenzie River system. These fish include: Arctic Cisco, Fourhorn Sculpin, Least Cisco, Deepwater Sculpin, Shortjaw Cisco, Bull Trout, Brook Stickleback, Dolly Varden, Pearl Dance, Inconnu, Walleye, Arctic Grayling, and possibly some vagrant fish species (Northwest Territories Resources 2003). In order to protect the diversity of this area, the habitat of these sensitive and threatened species must be protected.