Toba and Montrose Hydroelectric Project Independent Environmental Monitor’s Report Toba Valley Weekly Report for Period August 11 – August 17, 2007 Weather: August 11: August 12: August 13: August 14: August 15: August 16: August 17: Clear during day, rain overnight. Rain in morning, overcast in afternoon. Overcast, no precipitation. Clear, showers overnight. Overcast, light showers. Light rain during day, heavy rain overnight. Rain in morning, clear in afternoon, showers in evening..
Fisheries observations: None. Wildlife observations: August 09 August 11 August 12 August 15 Grizzly bear (cub) Bald eagle (juvenile) Otters (famly of five) Black bear (cub) Access spit at Klahoose IR Camp Bridge 1 (1+200) Between bridge 1 and 2 (~2+000)
Construction activities: August 11. Tahumming quarry. Clearing blast rock. Bridge 1, west side. Lower road grade, place ballast and compact. Bridge 1, east side. Crushing and stockpile riprap from extended pit allowance. August 12. Tahumming quarry. Clearing blast rock. Bridge 1, west abutment. Place sliders and blocking for assembly of girders. Bridge 1, east abutment. Pull back overbuilt toe of riprap and place backfill to elevation +0.1m. Bridge 1, midspan. Remove steel piling. Bridge 2. Start of bridge deck and stringer removal. Road clearing. Completed to ~9+150. August 13. Tahumming quarry. Clearing blast rock. Bridge 1, west abutment. Start assembling structural steel.
Bridge 1, east abutment. Riprap placement to elevation 1.7m, backfill to elevation 1.3m, place and grout columns. Bridge 2. Complete removal of bridge deck and stringers. Road clearing. Hauling of woody debris that had been temporarily stockpiled while clearing adjacent to streams and wetlands between 3+400 and 4+400. Material dispersed in low sensitivity area at ~4+600. Clearing to 9+400. August 14. Tahumming quarry. No work today Bridge 1, west abutment. Assembling structural steel. Bridge 1, east abutment. Set cap. Crushing at bridge 1 quarry. Bridge 2. No work today. Road clearing. Removal of brush from road slopes between bridge 1 and 2. Road cleared to approximately 9+800.
August 15. Tahumming quarry. Sort rock. Bridge 1. West abutment. Assembling structural steel. Bridge 1. East abutment. Weld cap and place riprap and backfill to elevation 2.5m. Crushing at bridge 1 quarry. . Road clearing to ~10+450. Removal of brush from road slopes between bridge 1 and 2. Temporary span placed across narrowed crossing at 8+398. August 16. Bridge 1. West abutment. Assembling structural steel. Bridge 1. East abutment. No work. Crushing at bridge 1 quarry. Bridge 2. Started removal of east abutment. Road clearing to bridge 4 (11+822). Removal of brush from road slopes between bridge 1 and 2. Barge load #6 arrived and was unloaded. August 17. Crushing at bridge 1. Bridge 1. West abutment. Assembling structural steel. Bridge 1. East abutment. No work today. Bridge 2. East abutment. Removal to elevation -0.5m. Bridge 4. Temporary crossing placed. Road clearing to aprox.12+800. PC2 borrow pit. Commenced clearing western side away from water courses. Non compliance activities and mitigation measures: None. Fisheries sensitive activities and mitigations: August 12 and 13. Removal of bridge 2 deck and stringers. Decking and stringers were removed by hand or individually slung with an excavator so that material did not fall into the water (Photo1 to 3).
Bridge 1. East abutment. Backfill materials placed in the dry during low tide (Photos 4 and 5). August 13. During initial road clearing from 3+400 and 4+400, roots and trees were stockpiled along the road alignment for future removal. This area has a number of wetlands and streams. Brush was hauled this week to non sensitive disposal areas and scattered/ buried. August 15. Temporary span at 8+398. This crossing had narrowed and was unpassable for vehicle traffic. A temporary log structure was built to span the crossing. Silt fencing was installed to hold back the slopes (Photo 6). August 15 and 16. Removal of bridge 2 east abutment. Work was done during low tide. 0.5m of material still needs to be removed. Crews waiting on lower tides. Existing cribbing was removed by excavating out center backfill material then pulling wooden cribbing into void prior to removal. Excavation left sloped to prevent fish stranding (Photo 7). August 16. Barge landing on access spit was moved to the corner of the access point to prevent damage to the estuarine grasses. Sampling results: None. Action items/ follow up: July 16. Other: August 15. Brad Fanos and Adam Silverton (DFO), Shawn Hamilton and Mike Miles on site to discuss project. Containment area to be constructed around bulk fuel tanks. Liner for spill containment arrived August 09. Awaiting installation.
Photos:
Photo 1. Removing decking from bridge 2.
Photo 2. Bridge 2. Lifting off stringers.
Photo 3. Bridge 2 with stringers and deck removed.
Photo 4. Bridge 1. East abutment. Placement of geotextile and backfill at elevation -0.9m.
Photo 5. Bridge 1. East abutment. Placement of backfill to elevation 1.3m, riprap to 1.7m.
Photo 6. Installing silt fence at temporary crossing at 8+398.:
Photo 7. Bridge 2. East abutment removal. Tide rising. August 08.
Michael Steele,