Environmental TWG Year 2 Work Plan

1. Environmental TWGYear 2 Work Plan Study Board Meeting Quebec City March 13 - 14, 2002 Christiane Hudon and Joe Atkinson

2. Overview • Charge is to evaluate effects of different water level regulation policies on the environment • “environment” defined primarily in terms of biological indicators and water quality (for lower St. Lawrence River) • main effect of water levels (and releases) is through impact on habitat quantity and quality, particularly wetlands • need to be able to convey results in a meaningful and useful way

3. Approach • Identify series of performance indicators (PIs) • 8 distilled from list of about 35 (assign group leaders): • muskrat population • bird populations • amphibians and reptiles populations • fish populations • habitat and food availability for fauna • special interest habitat • special interest species • water quality (St. Lawrence River) • (integration and project management)

4. PIs for year 2 work plan • amphibians and reptiles • wetlands birds • wildfowl and colonial birds • habitat quantity • fish • habitat quality • (integration and assessment)

5. Guidelines for proposals • identify and quantity impacts of different water level regulations, in terms of mean and fluctuations, on each PI • all studies need to be related to goal of quantifying impact of water level • assign values to environmental impacts • prioritize importance of different PIs • provide means to evaluate and compare effects

6. Overall • Develop framework for evaluation(is a particular regulation action “good” for the environment?) • integrate results: • within groups (of Env. TWG) - data sharing • across groups (ex: habitat/population, food chain linkages, etc.) • across other TWGs • GIS-level data integration • longevity of tool, public involvement, understanding

7. specific methodology still to be determined • IBI, HGM • shared-vision model (Bill Werick) • process modeling (system-wide ecological model) • other general tools • hydrologic analysis • other

8. ENV TWG Activities since last Board meeting (Niagara Falls, Feb. 5-6, 2002) • Meeting with Joe Atkinson, new US co-lead • Account to ENV TWG members - formation of 6 sub-groups with senior scientists as coordinators • Call for integrated sub-group proposals (yr 2 and over) • Solicitation of new CAN co-lead & full time support person • Sub-group meetings • Habitat quality and quantity (Feb. 19, Burlington) • Rare and endangered species (Feb. 27, conf. call) • Fish (March 6, Burlington) • Wetlands birds (March 6, Burlington) • ENV TWG meeting (March 7-8, Burlington) - Priorization of projects • Complete Year 2 Work Plan & Budget (March 11) • Summary of in kind contributions by each organization

12. Timelines until early June, 2002 • Send account of Board Meeting to ENV TWG members (March 20) • Year 1 deliverables for CAN projects due (March 31) • Find a new CAN co-lead (time?) • Detailed review of Yr 2 Work Plan and Yr 1 deliverables by co-leads, with the help of C. Hudon and J. Kalff • end of March for US projects, mid April for Canadian • (“fast-track” US proposals requiring spring field work) • Proponents receive comments and modify projects (through April) • Finalized Yr 2 Work Plan (May 7th)

13. Proponents initiate MOUs with IJC • US projects to start ASAP • CAN projects to start after April 1st or after Treasury Board Funding Allocation • Training period of Lorraine Standing at St. Lawrence Centre (May), prior to her moving to CAN co-lead office (June) • Expert workshop on Hydrological Alteration Index and meeting of co-leads with sub-group senior members (May 22)