Baseline Study
Background
In 2018, a greenfields area, located in the district of Thunder Bay, became the subject of future development plans by a local mining company. TBTE was retained as a consultant to conduct Baseline Environmental Monitoring that included archaeological, biological and physical assessments at key locations in the area.
TBT Engineering’s Role
As part of the baseline environmental monitoring, TBTE biologists were retained to conduct the following assessments:
- Discharge and water quality monitoring;
- Fish and Fish Habitat investigations, including fish capture and live-release;
- Multi-season monitoring of waterfowl populations;
- Species-at-Risk habitat surveys; and,
- Wetland and forest ecosite vegetation ground-truthing and mapping.
The field season included several weeks of fieldwork during various seasons. Fisheries assessments required the use of gillnets (short-term, live-release sets), minnow trapping, visual observations, and backpack electrofishing (TBTE-owned unit). Water-quality sampling was completed using an extendable-pole sampler and sample results were evaluated against the Provincial WQ Guidelines (PWQG). Manual flows were measured using a portable Flow Meter, following standard methods to calculate discharge values.
Baseline Environmental Investigations are ongoing.