Environmental Assessment Studies


Studies of the existing environment, based on technical science, have included:

Aquatic Environment Studies

aquatic studies

  • Aquatic habitat
  • Aquatic plants and invertebrates
  • Fish community – populations, spawning, and movements
  • Lake sturgeon – species of special interest
  • Fish quality – mercury

Physical Environment Studies

  • Air quality
  • Climate and climate change
  • Noise
  • Geology and soils
  • Water levels and flows
  • Ice processes
  • Shoreline erosion
  • Debris
  • Peatland disintegration
  • Sedimentation
  • Groundwater
  • Surface water temperature
  • Dissolved oxygen

Terrestrial Environment Studies

Terrestrial-Environment

  • Vegetated habitat classification and mapping
  • Rare plants
  • Insects
  • Amphibians
  • Songbirds, raptors and waterfowl
  • Small mammals (e.g. voles, rabbits, mice)
  • Furbearers (e.g. beaver, muskrat, mink, otter)
  • Large mammals (e.g. caribou, moose)

Heritage Resource Studies

  • Burial sites
  • Heritage resources, such as pottery or bone fragments from pre-contact to the historic period
  • Culturally important sites

Socio-Economic Environment and Resource-use Studies

  • Land and resource use for traditional, recreational and commercial purposes
  • Local and regional economy, including employment and business
  • Population, housing, infrastructure and services
  • Transportation, navigation safety and access
  • Community health
  • Culture
  • Social well-being and quality of life