Hydro

Northern Bioscience provides environmental and technical services to the hydroelectric industry at all stages of development, from feasibility through to operational monitoring. We have worked on over 15 river systems in northern Ontario for feasibility studies (n=8), existing facilities (n=10), and new generating stations (n=4).


Our services include:

  • environmental baseline studies for the Zone of Influence (ZOI), as well associated roads and transmission lines. Studies include:
    • fish and fish habitat e.g., population assessment, acoustic and radio telemetry for fish passage, design of spawning/compensating habitat
    • aquatic macroinvertebrates, including rare odonates (dragonflies)
    • aquatic habitat, wetlands, and terrestrial vegetation
    • terrestrial wildlife (e.g., in areas to be inundated)
  • Environmental Assessment (EA)
  • habitat modelling and mapping
  • Species At Risk (SAR) mitigation plans and monitoring e.g., Lake Sturgeon, Barn Swallow
  • environmental permitting and approvals
  • Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) e.g., fish populations, mercury (Hg in water and fish tissue), benthic macroinvertebrates, water quality, wetlands, Species at Risk
  • indigenous, stakeholder, and government communication/consultation
  • peer review

Clients

Northern Bioscience has worked with the hydroelectric industry in northern Ontario and Manitoba. Representative clients include:

  • Brookfield Power (sub to Hatch Ltd.)
  • HydroOmega Services Inc. (sub to Hatch Ltd.)
  • Manitoba Clean Environment Commission (sub to Arcadis)
  • McGraw Falls Power
  • Namewaminikan Hydro Inc. / Axor Group Inc.
  • North/South Consultants Inc.
  • Ontario Power Generation
  • Pic Mobert Hydro Inc.
  • Regional Power Inc.
  • The Power Limited Partnership
  • Xeneca Power Development Inc.