The Tawatinaw Watershed Stewards presentation regarding the Tawatinaw River realignment

1. Changing a River
The Tawatinaw River is an important part of the Athabasca area for many reasons.
Before we agree to drastic alterations to this river all aspects and alternatives should be
considered. The planed realignment will permanently change the river and eliminate
many of the functions it performs in our community.
A healthy natural waterway with a minimum of human disturbance will take care of
itself. There are many interrelationships between biotic and abiotic components of a river
or stream system, disturbance of the bank affects all aspects of the river. When
disturbance occurs it becomes very hard to prevent erosion and stabilize the banks.
Establishment of native plant species is difficult due to the change in soil chemistry and
composition as well as the lack of bank stability and increased water flow speed. Stantec
completed a hydraulic model of the natural channel compared to the diverted channel of
the Tawatinaw River to determine changes in velocity. The results showed an increase in
velocity from the natural channel to the diverted channel by 18 to 51 percent depending
on the flow depth. Velocity increases with the elimination of the natural meander and the
decreased length of the channel which changes the gradient. If the Tawatinaw River is
realigned it will no longer take care of itself.
Native plant species create important habitat for wildlife including, insects, birds,
mammals, amphibians and fish. Native plant communities are very diverse in species
composition. Introduced and invasive plant species are likely to create a monocultural
community. Invasive plant species have a tendency to colonize areas of disturbed soil,
preventing establishment of native plants. A monoculture plant community does not
provide the habitat diversity required for a healthy functioning ecosystem. A riverbank in
good shape is stabilized by deep rooted varied native plant species. Even though
intentions are to reestablish the banks of the Tawatinaw River with native vegetation this
will take many years and the diversity of species may never be as high as the existing
plant community. There will be many years of work and high expense maintenance to
establish a plant community that will maintain the river bank.
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System organization recommends that bridge,
highway, or culvert designs should be changed to make room for streams natural
meanderings to prevent damage from happening in the first place. If we have to
implement restoration we have already lost the battle. Many rivers were straightened in
North America in the 1960’s and1970’s they became ditches and it was often impossible
to reestablish native plant species. After 20 or 30 years the cannel banks were still not
covered in shrubs and bushes and were avoided by birds and other wildlife. In the United
States millions of dollars have been spent to turn miles of straight canals back to curves.
We have an example of chanelization in Athabasca with the Muskeg Creek which was
straightened 20-30 years ago. There are many problems with the altered banks of the
Muskeg Creek including lack of woody vegetation, low plant species diversity, colonies
of invasive plants, bank slumping and no meandering. The state of the banks is also a
problem for wildlife. Wire was placed on the banks to try and reduce erosion caused by
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2. the straightening, the wire is now loose and grown into the vegetation causing a hazard
for wildlife. The banks are very steep and deep creating access problems for larger
animals which would use the creek as a corridor.
All creek and river valleys are very important as wildlife corridors. Since European
settlement human caused fragmentation of habitat has increased the need to maintain
river valleys to allow gene flow between populations. The Tawatinaw River valley is
critical habitat with varied wildlife communities. The Athabasca River is an extensive
corridor linking many diverse communities providing genetic variation which is needed
to maintain viable wildlife communities.
Channelization alters flow regimes by decreasing flow in certain streams and lowering
water levels (Hupp 1992 ). Channelization, which has become an increasingly common
practice, affects fish through changes to the abiotic and biotic environment (Hupp 1992).
The alteration of the lower portion of the Tawatinaw channel will affect the upstream
channel and riparian habitat. Fish that require specific habitats for reproduction may
have a reduction in recruitment if those habitats are degraded by channelization. Ten fish
species were documented by Stantec in the lower part of the Tawatinaw River although
they say as many as 29 species have been reported in this area of the Athabasca River and
could occur at various times in the confluence area of the rivers. Smaller waterways are
important for fish spawning as they are 2-4° C warmer in the spring than the larger rivers
(Cameron 2009).
The Tawatinaw River is important to residents in the county of Athabasca. Where the
Tawatinaw River meets the Athabasca River is the original Athabasca Landing, this is the
exact location that the boats were launched for the journey north. We have a history that
is important to all of Canada. Our natural history made it possible for us to be the
gateway to the north. To protect our part in history we should respect what allowed us
this historical significance. If the Tawatinaw River is altered we will lose a piece of our
history in Athabasca.
The Tawatinaw ecosystem can be used to educate people on how a river system should
be. The flood plain along the threatened meander is a perfect example of a healthy
functioning riparian area. Riparian areas are an ideal tool for schools and nature groups to
teach about the many aspects of nature. The Tawatinaw River would be a good model to
help restore the Muskeg Creek through example and as a source of native plants. Natural
habitats with fish, birds and other wildlife are increasingly important to tourists as they
are a rarity in urban settings.
The Tawatinaw River helps give citizens a sense of pride in our heritage as well as a
connection to nature through the natural beauty of a relatively unaltered wild river in their
backyards. The undisturbed natural meander in the Tawatinaw River will maintain itself
while remaining an important ecological oasis and corridor connecting the Tawatinaw
River valley and the Athabasca River valley. Few towns have a relatively undisturbed
waterway with a healthy intact natural ecosystem such as the Tawatinaw, if this is
destroyed we will not get it back.
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3. Literature Cited
Athabasca Archives. Accessed November 2009.
Athabasca Historical Society, David Gregory and Athabasca University. 1986. Athabasca
Landing: An Illustrated History. Jasper Printing
Cameron, R. 2009. Personal consultation.
Dieterle, J.O Cox.C. Heck and K Steinbacher. 2003. Stream Restoration: Natural Flow
Regimes and Interactions with Ecological Processes.
Globalrestorationnetwork.org.
Hupp, C. R. 1992. Riparian vegetation recovery patterns following stream
channelization : a geomorphic perspective. Ecology 73:1209-1226.
Kati Blouin. 2009. Photograph Collections.
Kyle Ashmead. 2009. Photograph Collections.
National Wild and Scenic Rivers. Accessed November 2009.
http://www.rivers.gov/index.html
Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2007. Tawatinaw River Hwy 55 Bridge Replacement and
Channel Diversion. Fish and Fish Habitat Environmental Assessment and
Compensation Plan. Prepared by Golder Associates Ltd.
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