Harvie Passage - Instream Work Started Today

[fishteck]

Harvie Passage In Stream Work Updated May 5

 

Comments from the engineers:
"Instream work started today. The Contractor is working towards removing the cofferdams in the next week or so, but the temporary diversion channel may not be blocked off till later. We are allowed to work instream till April 30th. The river will definitely be diverted back to the High Water Channel prior to April 30th"

 

We can expect to see a fair amount of water discoloration during this timeline that at time will make it very difficult to fish the Bow River..

 

 

[Dangus]

Sorry, do you think it'll be dirty for the next 3+ weeks then?

[bcubed]

Sorry, do you think it'll be dirty for the next 3+ weeks then?

I hope any day that it's dirty, people are calling alberta environment and complaining.

[jasonvilly]

Why in their right minds would they allow the river to become silty when it is spawning season?

 

So bassackwards

[bcubed]

Why in their right minds would they allow the river to become silty when it is spawning season?

 

So bassackwards

Technically, this is outside of the restricted activity period (April 5 to May 1 is the spring 'open' period), as the 'average' spawn happens after this. That certainly wasnt the case last year, as fish were spawning in Fish Creek the second week of April

 

Like i said, if they are putting silt into the river, call it in to the 1-800-222-6514. They should not be blindly releasing sediment to the river, and if they are, if enough people call at least they'll know people are looking, and compliance will go to site.

[fishteck]

There are two periods in the year when instream work can be done on the Bow River April 05 to May 01 & July 16 to Sept 15. These are controlled locally by Alberta Environment & Parks. There is a mass of requirements that have to be met by the engineers and contractors. If work is in violation of the construction permits heavy fines will and have been issued.

 

Harvie Passage redevelopment was needed and we as anglers will have to suffer somewhat for the remainder of April. I have asked for a 3 -5 day work site instream construction schedule, but unfortunately is not possible, but the contractor will do their part to ease the disruption.

 

Go to the following link for more schedule info:

 

 

https://www.transportation.alberta.ca/documents/HP-NewsletterJan2017.pdf

[fishteck]

Be careful blaming blaming any water viability issues on just Transportation Alberta, There is a whole list of the City of Calgary mitigation projects underway. I'm trying to get a complete list of all projects that I will post when available.

[bcubed]

Let's be frank, an open window does not allow them to impact water quality without constraint.

[fishteck]

Short-term pain for long-term gain! All of us can do with taking a few days off the river.

The question that maybe needs to be debated revolves around fishing for and catching fish stressed out from the environment and/ or man-made intervention. If fish are stressed extensively by the instream river work, should the river be closed to fishing during that time? The same argument could also be made during high flow flood conditions when the river also contains a high degree of sediment. Neither of these scenario will see the river closed to fishing - therefore just suck it up and look forwards to improvements in recreations river use in the future.

[bcubed]

Call it in, if they want to let them have free reign, then so be it, but call it in. Any time there is work inputting sediment into the river, someone should be calling it in as it is potentially a non-compliance to the Water Act and Compliance will only go to site if it is reported. Assuming they're in compliance is silly

 

And this isn't about losing fishing days. I haven't even bought a license yet

[ÜberFly]

Brent,

 

Call it in to whom?

 

P

 

Call it in, if they want to let them have free reign, then so be it, but call it in. Any time there is work inputting sediment into the river, someone should be calling it in as it is potentially a non-compliance to the Water Act and Compliance will only go to site if it is reported. Assuming they're in compliance is silly

[bcubed]

AEP spill line

1-800-222-6514

[Current]

I agree with Brent. The Approval to conduct instream works likely comes with conditions to meet water quality parameters. Contractors and engineers (as a culture) need to know there are people who take this seriously and need to in turn take it seriously themselves.

 

If you see a visible increase in turbidity report it to the AEP Spill Line / Environmental Hotline. Brent posted the number twice. If you don't have the number handy just google it.

 

Here's a link if folks are interested in water quality guidelines.

 

http://ceqg-rcqe.ccme.ca/download/en/221

[fishteck]

I find it difficult to believe that engineers and contractors are unaware or not concerned with adhering to AEP and Federal guidelines and conditions of the instream work permits. Having worked with many engineers and excavation companies over the years I have gained a great amount of respect of due diligence taken to protect the environment.

 

There is a need for all of us to understand that engineering and earth movement is not an exact science when conducted on dry land. When performed on a river bed the excavation is further complicated by the volume and force of the water. With Harvie Passage redevelopment the removal of the cofferdams and diversion of the river flow would appear to be impossible without some sediment being pickup and carried downstream.

 

As I have said previously the engineers and contractor for Harvie Passage are well aware of the public's concerns. Give them a break – don’t hang on the end of your phone waiting to call the authorities who have more than likely already been informed of any breach in protocol by the consulting engineers.

[trailhead]

I agree with Fishteck and having read the guidelines; that is all they are. it even states that there is no legal standing to the Water Quality Objectives in the document (page 14 chapter 3.1). They are used as a reference in the enforcement of Federal, Provincial and Municipal law. So again who to call it into is debatable and the license covering the work in all likelihood has a specific set of defined limits that are applicable to this project alone. As for there being an impact that is a given, the river downstream of the mitigation work is currently a murky brown color. Is it above the allowable limits? I don't know and until I read what the limits are for suspended solids in the water for this specific project, I can't make an informed decision that they are breaking the law.Then a sample has to be taken and tested to determine the level of contamination. I can look at the water and say it is contaminated, but to put a number to it is not possible. Kind of like looking at a fish in the water and saying it was 29 inches long.

[Conor]

If interested, go into the AEP approvals page and pull the approval for the works. Likely a Water Act approval, but possibly EPEA. It will have specific conditions for instream work, likely turbidity monitoring with specific limits and timelines threasholds. For works like this, a provincial or municipal inspector will be on site regularly checking that all approval conditions are followed.

[fishteck]

The engineer consultants told me that in all likelihood the threshold level for sediment content assigned to this project will be exceeded for a limited time as the cofferdams are removed and that AEP has to be notified when this happens. This would indicate to me that monitoring is ongoing during the instream work phase.

 

When the bank stabilization work was being done at the Agrium Pump House (North Bow Loge) in 2016 there was monitoring of water quality downstream of the work site by consultants to the contractor. The same procedures are probably in place with Harvie Passage.

[Dangus]

Looked pretty dirty when I drove over it around 3 today.

[Vitalshok]

Saturday morning me and my brother seen a excavator in the river up to the tops of his tracks at around 11:00am at glenmore on the north side of the bridge and the east side bank.if I had more time I would have tried to figure that one out.Im pretty sure that's not good for the river either.

[jpinkster]

Saturday morning me and my brother seen a excavator in the river up to the tops of his tracks at around 11:00am at glenmore on the north side of the bridge and the east side bank.if I had more time I would have tried to figure that one out.Im pretty sure that's not good for the river either.

 

They are doing flood mitigation work (more rip-rap, yay!). They aren't able to do in-stream work without Water Act approval, so it's gone through the appropriate channels. Whether it's good for the river or how effective rip-rap actually might be is an entirely different conversation...

[bcubed]

I think he's speaking to the hoe being up to its tracks in the river... which isn't really appropriate (and was not behind isolation)

[Vitalshok]

And it's parked in the water and not even moveing on sunday

[jpinkster]

Point taken. The hoe was actively working on Sunday afternoon when I got off the water.

[BurningChrome]

So OHVs or peoples' trucks in the water - bad. Backhoe in the water - ok.

[hydroman]

Fishteck and others are correct. In my past job was as a consultant, I was involved in preparing work plans for this type of work. Prior to any work than may discharge or cause disturbance in flowing waters in Alberta, a work plan must be submitted and approved by AEP. The work program will include measures to mitigate impact to the waters and the aquatic environment. Downstream threshold limits (based on upstream levels and distance downstream from the work activities) on turbidity, total suspended solids and other work specific parameters are set. Upstream and downstream monitoring must be conducted and managed by qualified professionals. Exceedances of the threshold limits must be reported to AEP followed with an action plan to reduce the possibility of future exceedences. I know its not perfect folks, but engineering consultant professionals and AEP will monitor potential impact to the waters during the instream work. However as others have indicated, call the AEP line if you see excess silt or impact, or feel the appropriate efforts are not being done.

 

-Garry-