Scientific aspects of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) have been widely criticized for several reasons, including poorly aligned approaches used for selecting endpoints and collecting data during baseline monitoring, predictive modelling, and post-development monitoring phases. If these phases of EIA are not properly aligned, it can be difficult to follow-up and evaluate the presence of impacts post-development, as well as to relate potential changes to the development. Although the concept of Before-After-Control-Impact designs has been around for over 30 years, few developmental assessments use the approach. Integrating Ecosystem Services (ES) into EIA by interpreting ES in terms of what fish require as critical ecosystem attributes can provide measurable endpoints and objectives essential to align information requirements across the phases. We used recent hydroelectric dam EIAs from across Canada as a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of current approaches to aquatic EIAs for aligning monitoring across EIA phases. Considering ES from a fish’s perspective and the success of EIAs to link monitoring and prediction efforts across the EIA phases provides an analysis of current gaps in best practices for fulfilling EIA science objectives and support post-development monitoring.

Primary Presenter: Carolyn Brown, Wilfrid Laurier University (carolyn.brown06@gmail.com)

Authors:

Carolyn Brown, Wilfrid Laurier University  (carolyn.brown06@gmail.com)

Bram Nobel, University of Saskatchewan  (b.noble@usask.ca)

Kelly Munkittrick, University of Calgary  (kelly.munkittrick@ucalgary.ca)