A presentation by the Tawatinaw Watershed Stewards Association of Alberta, a diverse group of citizens working towards ecological sustainability for the Tawatinaw River Watershed in northern Alberta. We are concerned that a proposed realignment of the Tawatinaw River by the Transportation Department of Alberta CEAR # 08-01-44280 as part of a new highway interchange within the Town of Athabasca will cause serious and irreparable damage to the Tawatinaw River Watershed, including destruction of fish habitat. We are writing to request a full EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) on this major realignment project. We feel that a full EIA is the only way to insure that all issues concerning fish habitat are taken into account in decision making concerning this project.

1. Changing a River Tawatinaw River Realignment Prepared by Jessica Ashmead

2. The Tawatinaw River is an important part of the Athabasca area for many reasons.

3. A healthy natural waterway with a minimum of human disturbance will take care of itself.

4. Velocity increases with the elimination of the natural meander and the decreased length of the channel which changes the gradient. Stantec Proposed Channel Natural Channel

5. Native plant species create important habitat for wildlife including, insects, birds, mammals, amphibians and fish. Kyle Ashmead

6. A riverbank in good shape is stabilized by deep rooted varied native plant species.

7. In the United States millions of dollars have been spent to turn miles of straight canals back to curves.

8. 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.

9. Since European settlement human caused fragmentation of habitat has increased the need to maintain river valleys to allow gene flow between populations.

10. The alteration of the lower portion of the Tawatinaw channel will affect the upstream channel and riparian habitat. Fish species and species abundance in the lower Tawatinaw River, fall 2004 and spring 2005 ( Athabasca River confluence to 600m upstream) http://aquanauts_dc.homestead.com/Haighquarry.html

11. If the Tawatinaw River is altered we will lose a piece of our history in Athabasca.

12. Riparian areas are an ideal tool for schools and nature groups to teach about the many aspects of nature.

13. 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.

14. Literature Cited

15. Questions ?