Sierra Yoyo Desan Road Project - Case Study Example

Title: Sierra Yoyo Desan Road Project Name University Course Course code Lecturer Date 1 Biophysical attributes (e.g. climate, geology, soils, vegetation, water, fauna resources) of the development site When building a road, the issue of biophysical environment cannot be ignored. The project proponents and implementers have to seriously consider the biophysical attributes since they have an impact on their undertaking and at the same time it will have some impacts on the local environment. It is important to carry out an assessment to gauge how the project will affect the environment and come up with ways through which negative impacts can be mitigated. There is a need to establish the baseline conditions of the environment before the project is implemented as this will guide the assessors in establishing whether the project has brought negative impacts on the environment. A road like Sierra Yolo Desan passes through different geographical zones which can have varying climatic, environmental, ecological and even economic activities. Despite the fact that the road will result in positive social and economic effects, one cannot ignore the environmental degradation that would be as a result of its construction and use. The areas where the road passes have plenty of vegetation which provides home to millions of animals and birds, there are also forests and mountains which are the sources of some of the major rivers which provide water for both human and animal consumption. This emphasizes the need to have in place measures that will ensure that the environment is not polluted and the ecosystem is not interfered with. Sierra Yolo Desan Road stretches 173 KM starting 15 kilometers from the Alaskan Highway near Clarke Lake Road ,stretches through south east Fort Nelson and ends near Helrnet Airport. The highways starts at Fort Nelson an area which is relatively flat, located in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This area was originally glaciated, contributing to the landforms which are seen here today. The area is within the Arctic drainage with the rivers flowing from the north into the Arctic Ocean. The road aims at opening the oil and natural gas fields some of which have been locked out due to the bad condition of the road. The road had also been affected by the weather condition in the area. Geographically the road starts near Clarke Lake one of the water bodies in the region, stretches through the south eastern part of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality headquaters,Fort Nelson and passes through the oil and natural oil gas fields before terminating at Helrnet Airport. The region is the located at the North Eastern part of the British Columbia Province. (Archer2010) Figure 1 A map showing some of the rivers and lakes in the region adapted from http://thetyee.ca/News/2013/06/06/Fort-Nelson-Boomtown/ In terms of climate, the area experiences the northern types of climates, they are characterized with relatively cold winters and moderately warm summer season. The snow conditions are experienced in the winters. The mountainous areas experience variable weather, where at times thunderstorms and squalls are witnessed. Since the larger part is located in the Northern Rocky Mountains, the typical weather is experienced. (Archer2010) During summer the days are warm while the nights are relatively cooler. There can also be sudden rainstorms and a significant snowing during the winter. Areas which are found near the Toad River, Muncho Lake and Tetsa River are relatively warmer during the winter since they are well protected by the mountains. The regions experience the four seasons in the years. Figure 2 Graph showing Fort Nelson weather (adapted from http://www.fort-nelson.climatemps.com ) The northern boreal region has many small lakes, waterways and rivers. The rivers include: Fort Nelson, Toad,Muncho and Tetsa.These river. The lakes includes: Clarke, Muncho and other several small lakes and marshlands which are found in the highest part s of the region. The rivers are significant both in the region as well as in the other parts; they not only provide water for human consumption but also for agriculture purposes in the southern part of British Columbia and beyond. (Archer2010) The area stretching all the way from Fort Nelson to the western part of the district and the northerly extent of the mountains is known to have vast reserves of natural gas and oil. There are also other minerals which are found in this area such as copper and barite. Some mining has been done in the past but at present no main activity is taking place in these mineralogical deposits. Most of the lands in this region are not suitable for agriculture due to the soils. They do not support growth of crops as they are known to have a lot of water. In the whole of British Columbia only three per cent of the soils support agriculture. Just like in most of the mountainous areas, only the terraces, floodplains and deltas of the major rivers which have alluvial soils support agriculture. The glacial deposition in the slopes of the mountains has soils which support tree growth. (Archer2010) Vegetation In terms of vegetation, the region has a variety of trees. Some of the most prominent trees are the coniferous, the tallest and broadest in the province. Others include the Douglas firm, hemlock, western cedar, Sitka spruce and balsam fir, birch among others. The amount of precipitation in this region well supports the growth of trees some of which are known to be the tallest in the country. The region has some of the largest forest in the British Columbia province and Canada as a whole. The Fort Nelson District forest is found here, it covers an area of 9.8 million hectares. The Fort Nelson district alone encompasses more than ten percent of the British Columbia with the forest covering the greatest portion of its land. The forest is home to some of the major rivers in the district, these rivers eventually drain their waters into Arctic oceans. Other especially those located in the eastern part drain into the Hay River which eventually drains its water into the second longest river in North America. This clearly shows that any contamination of the waters in the region where the road passes will spread far and wide to regions which are served by these rivers. The pollution which will be as a result of usage of this road, if it gets into the water, not only the local population will be affected. The rivers in the region drain their waters into rivers which flow far and wide into other regions of the country. If the water is polluted it can have far reaching effects on the environment more so on aquatic life. Other types of vegetation found in the area are shrubs, the plants which are described as having persistent woody stems and produce a basal shoot approximately ten meters; there are herbs, bryoids and other woody plants. The forest is home to many animals and birds all that depend on it for survival. Figure 3 A map showing Fort Nelson forest adapted from https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/tsa/tsa08/ Apart from the boreal forests the region is also home to large and small mammals. The most visible component of wildlife are the black bear, mountain goat, Grizzly bear, mule deer rocky mountain elk, white tailed deer, woodland caribou, moose and wood bison. The small mammals include the fisher, red fox, marten, woodchuck, snowshoe, river otter, hares among others. The area is also inhabited with carnivores such as coyote, wolves, wolverines, cougar and Canada lynx. Birds are also present in most of the areas where the road passes. It is easy to find birds such as Canada geese, swans, loons, sand hill cranes, jays, hawks sparrows, hummingbirds, trumpeter and many others. Reptiles such as frogs, toads, snake especially in the Fort Nelson Forest as well as in the water of Prophet, Kechika, Muskwa, Toad and Dunedin rivers. There have been concerns of the air quality in the region especially in the oil and natural gas fields. The residents have lobbied the local government to look at the issue since the level of emission from the oil and gas mines have been alarming. Generally residents should be in a position to enjoy high quality air with minimum pollution. In event that there are activities which can lead to emission of dangerous gases and other pollutants the quality of the air might be compromised. Although the levels of pollution have not reached an alarming rate the quality of air in the oil and natural gas mining areas is being closely monitored by the local government. 2.The major degradation issues that have arisen (or could be expected to arise) from the development Construction of a road on an area which is geographically vulnerable can lead to soil erosion, sedimentation, mass wasting and even landslides. Given the terrain of some of the areas that the Sierra Yoyo Desan road has passed it is possible experience such problems. The digging, excavating and drilling which accompanies a project of this magnitude will increase the chances of soil erosion and sedimentation. (Dunning 2013) (Chinn and Hughes 1999) Construction of roads is a highly mechanized activity; it involved drilling, leveling and other activities which use machines that produce a lot of noise. Given that the road passes through the areas which are either inhabited by people or animals, this noise can be a nuisance. (Chinn and Hughes 1999)The fact that the amount of traffic will increase means that the amount of noise from vehicles will also increase. This will affect those who live near the road as well as the animals and birds which are found in the area. (Dunning 2013) Building and subsequent upgrading of the Sierra Yoyo Desan Road will open up areas which had been previously accessible by the residents and visitors. There is a likelihood that economic activities in the area will increase. (Dunning 2013) (Chinn and Hughes 1999)Trophy hunting is likely to increase as people come from other regions to explore now accessible lands. This will lead to depletion of already declining number of wildlife in the area. Increased pollution will also affect the wildlife in the area. The upgrading of the road means that more vehicles will be plying the road, ultimately interfering with the free movement of the wildlife in the region. Air Quality The residents of North Eastern British Columbia have been concerned about the air quality in their region. These concerns are as a result of the increased oil and gas mining in the area. The residents are concerned that these activities may have some effects on human health as well as the environment. With the upgrade of the road, the mining activities will increase since the access to the mining fields will have been made easier. Vehicles are known to contribute to significant amount of pollution in every environment. With the number of vehicles projected to increase in this region amount of emission from these transport machines will also increase significantly leading to the increase in the amount of carbon in the air ultimately contributing to global warming. The quality of air will also be affected since the vehicles will be emitting gases. Although there are measures in place to monitor the air quality in most of the mining areas, there is a need to control emissions of gases which are associated with transport and mining industry. (Dunning 2013) (Chinn and Hughes 1999) Water Pollution The Sierra Yoyo Desan Road passes through major rivers in the region, the rainwater and melting snow will be running off the road ,there is a high likelihood that this water will be picking up gasoline, heavy metals, trash oil and other pollutants and draining them into rivers and ultimately into the lakes. (Dunning 2013)Studies have shown that road runoff is a major contributor of cadmium, lead copper and hydrocarbons .This means that the water in this area will be polluted, affecting the aquatic life as well as the human and animals who rely on this water. Ground water is not also spared as the run off will percolate affecting the plants which are fed using such water. Sand from the dug trenches in the course of construction can get in to the water bodies leading to siltation. This will have an effect on the size of the water bodies as well as causing stress to the animals and plants which rely on the rivers and lakes. (Chinn and Hughes 1999) Animal Movement When roads are constructed in animals habitat, the cause a barrier hindering the movement of the animals between the two sides. The barrier which will have been created by the road can interfere with breeding and feeding of the animals. This would lead to stress and subsequent decrease in population of the animals. Those that are brave enough to cross the busy road will risk death when hit by vehicles or by predators who might be more on the other side. It is also likely that the animals will start inbreeding setting pace for the extinction of the animals especially if it was threatened specie. (Dunning 2013) The space that was once occupied by forest had to be cut down to pave way for the construction of the road. This means that the flora in this region was drastically reduce to give room for the upgrading of the transport corridor. Natural resources The area where the road passes is known to have vast reserves oil and gas, both proven and unproven. In the course of construction of the road the areas which are not proven might be tampered with reading to environmental effects. Although oil and gas fields are known to be located far deep into the ground, there might be exceptions where they are near the ground. If proper study has not been done especially in the areas where bridges need to be constructed there might be emission of gases which might affect the environment. (Dunning 2013) (Chinn and Hughes 1999) 3. Strategies to mitigate or reduce the degradation issues as a result of constructing a road Highways, roads and bridges contribute significant pollutants into the water. The contaminants from the construction machines and vehicles using the roads and highways find its way in the rivers and lakes as runoff. This makes the water unsafe for human, animals and plant consumption. Eroded gullies on a cleared road construction site are a clear sign of runoff, when the water has rainbow colors, there is a clear sign that it contains oil products. There is a need to protect the water from being contaminated through construction and subsequent usage of the road. The runoff should not be directed into the rivers and lakes. It should be directed to areas where human and animals do not rely to get their water. There is also a need to come up with laws which protect our water sources from runoffs coming from the roads and highways. There should also be a limit on land disturbance, for example clearing and grading the cut fill to decrease erosion and loss of sediments. There is also need to come up with an approved erosion control plan as well as avoiding building roads and highways in areas that require many rivers or wetland crossing. In line with preserving the region, there is a need of replacing the vegetation that will be destroyed in the course of construction, operation and maintenance of the project. It is evident that trees and other vegetation will be felled; animals and birds depend on these ecosystems for survival. Their destruction will not only have interrupted their livelihood but also caused a major ecological imbalance. The local climates are also influenced by this vegetation, further stressing their importance in the region occupied by the Sierra Yoyo Desan Road. Emphasis should be put in replacing the tress which will be felled and at the same time provide an environment which will allow the natural replacement of some of the vegetation which will be destroyed The areas which have sensitive environment or protected areas need to be preserved. The project should not pass through these areas; alternative lands should be sourced to ensure that the sensitive environment is not interfered with. (AIPCR 2012)There are several areas in this region that are protected, in the course of maintenance and operation; there should be least interference with the ecosystem here. In terms of reducing the effects on the environment measures should be put in place such that those who are involved either in the construction of operation take the necessary caution to ensure that there is no interference with the sensitive ecosystems.( Ver Berkmoes and Lee There is need to put some laws and regulations in place to ensure that the use of road does not in any way interfere with the environment. The road having opened up the area, there is likelihood that there will be illegal poaching and encroachment in the forested areas. To curb these strict rules should be issued to deter those who might enter the forested areas with an aim of illegal trophy hunting and other illegal activities which would have not be in existence if the road was not built in this area. (AIPCR 2012) (Robinson and Thagesen 2004) When it comes to use of the road, there should be stringent rules in place to ensure that there is minimal interference with the normal lives of the residents as well as other ecosystems in this area. There should be speed limits in different areas and road signs to warn the motorists to observe caution when driving in this road. Noise pollution has been noted as one of the nuisance that will be as a result of this road upgrade. There should be some motorists on the levels of noise which is allowed on such a road. It should be in a level that does not interfere with wild animals activities. (AIPCR 2012) A road is a necessary facility, since it eases the movement of people and goods. It is an important part of the society since it also opens an area for investors to come in. Nevertheless its construction leads to interference with the environment. For a road to be constructed vegetation is cut, human beings are relocated and ecosystems are interfered with. Measures should be put in place to ensure that there is a balance between development and the environment conservation. Without this the environment will be degraded to a level that it will no longer be productive to human being and other ecosystems. (AIPCR 2012) Mitigation measures are meant to ensure that we continue developing our land but also prevent our actions from interfering with the environment. With mitigation our activities should have minimal effects on the environment. If the mitigation measures identified above are implemented, the Sierra Yoyo Desan road project will bring the intended results with very minimal effects on the environment. References AIPCR (2012) Monitoring of environmental impacts of roads ISBN 2-84060-245-8 Pg 94-103 Archer L (2010) Northern British Columbia Canoe Trips, Volume 2, Rocky Mountain Books Dunning Hayley (2013) Postcard from Fort Nelson, BC's Gasland: A northern community contends with the wealth it sits on. First of two, accessed from http://thetyee.ca/News/2013/06/06/Fort-Nelson-Boomtown/ Chinn, L and J. Hughes, L (1999) Mitigation of the Effects of Road Construction on Sites of High Ecological areas,TD Press Robinson,R and Thagesen,B (2004) Road Engineering for Development, Second Edition.CRC Press Ver Berkmoes, R and Lee,J  (2009)British Columbia and the Yukon, Lonely Planet Press Read More