Compensation & Mitigation
(i) Building ecologically robust lakes for offsetting fisheries habitat and productivity
In the oil sands mining region of Canada, the management goal is often to design a compensation lake that is suitably productive to offset losses in CRA fisheries habitat. While this goal appears to be straight forward, compensation lakes are a relatively new concept and there is very little knowledge about how the initial state of the system (e.g., species present, abiotic factors, etc.) may influence the ability of industry to meet management objectives. Further, our understanding of the processes that govern both compensation and reference fish communities may differ dramatically in the northern boreal forest region. Thus, building an understanding of how these processes may differ, will aid in our ability to meet management targets. Ultimately, compensation lakes are the legacy of our activities on the landscape and ensuring that these legacies are lasting, robust, productive and resilient ecosystems will be a great service to future generations.
(ii) Strategic planning for stormwater infrastructure
Stormwater infrastructure plays a critical role in managing instream flows and storing contaminants from urban runoff, however, a side effect is that it produces warm water effluent and can be a resevoir for many harmful solutes. In the Toronto region stormwater infrastructure is continually coming online in cool and cold water stream reaches and has the potential to raise instream temperatures. This may render stream habitat unsuitable for many cool and cold water species. Additionally, with several online ponds there is the potential for cumulative impacts. Thus, building an understanding of potential cumulative impacts can help to inform future urbanization and stormwater infrastructure within the Toronto region.
A typical boreal lake in Northern Alberta. Photo Credit: Jonathan Ruppert.
A typical stormwater pond in the Toronto Region. Photo Credit: Jonathan Ruppert.