The OWA often finds itself working with legacy infrastructure and historical construction practices, but the work in the Manyberries area demands a different approach. We have undertaken a huge effort to close orphan sites in this area in a manner that supports the federal and provincial efforts for the recovery of the endangered greater sage-grouse and other species deep within the heart of southeastern Alberta.
Manyberries is a hamlet about 85 km south of Medicine Hat – and a hotbed for Species at Risk. The greater sage-grouse, greater short-horned lizard, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, swift fox and other sensitive amphibians, reptiles and native vegetation live in this unique area. But, it’s the endangered greater sage-grouse, with only three remaining mating grounds, and less than 100 birds in Alberta, that are the subject of a Government of Canada Emergency Protection Order to address imminent threats to their survival and recovery. Key to stabilizing their population is decommissioning and reclaiming orphan sites back to a state that is equivalent to native prairie land, including islands of plentiful silver sagebrush. This hearty plant offers the primary source of food, protection from predators and a place to nest, and therefore cannot be killed or moved without an approved permit under the Protection Order.
The OWA received about 250 orphan sites in Manyberries, including wells, facilities and hundreds of kilometers of pipelines that needed to be decommissioned within brief, annual work windows, in alignment with provincial regulations. “The OWA was quick to adapt their strategies and timing to ensure the work was completed during the restricted timing window, which minimizes disturbance to greater sage-grouse and other endangered species in the area,” says Mecah Klem, Priority Species Biologist with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA).
The OWA decommissioned 90 per cent of the sites within two years, turning them over to our environmental team.
“Reclamation takes planning and patience,” says Samantha Price, an OWA environmental planner. “Native grasses and plants take five to ten years to grow in the soil of this dry climate.”
The OWA team has advanced over half the sites through the environmental assessment stages, so that they are ready for reclamation activities in the field. Over the more than 30 years since the sites were constructed, vegetation has slowly grown and encroached on the leases to the edge of teardrop drilling pads. However, the silver sagebrush has proven to be a miraculous plant. Requiring only a small amount of soil to germinate and driving its root system through clay, this plant started the reclamation process early, on its own. Knowing this plant is vital to the survival of the greater sage-grouse, balanced reclamation efforts are necessary to maintain current plant density while meeting reclamation goals across each site.
Samantha says, “With four regulatory bodies providing guidelines and oversight, engagement has been critical for this program.”
Individuals from regulators with different skill sets, combined with industry reclamation experts, have come with a common vision: the recovery and survival of the greater sage-grouse and the other species at risk across the area. EPA Species at Risk biologists have been particularly supportive of the OWA. They understood the needs of future reclamation before these sites were designated by the AER as orphans for the OWA. Through the Environment and Climate Change Canada annual grant application process, EPA obtained funding four years in a row to harvest silver sagebrush seeds.
With the OWA beginning so much reclamation work in the coming year, EPA’s seed bank is expected to deplete and could limit our ability to continue our expediated reclamation work. We were quick to follow EPA’s lead with seed harvesting initiatives, turning the need into an educational opportunity for environmental sciences students at Lethbridge College. OWA’s main reclamation prime contractor for the area, Jorgensen Land Management, took the lead in organizing the first annual event. Many keen volunteers from the EPA, AER, OWA and another prime contractor, Terralogix Solutions, joined the OWA-sponsored initiative. We had a spectacular day and picked three large bags of native silver sagebrush seed. Laboratory testing proved an 86 per cent viability rating – an excellent indicator of future germination. We look forward to providing this unique hands-on educational opportunity to more students in coming years while benefiting from their hard work to accomplish this meticulous work.
While it is just the start of the OWA’s journey in the reclamation challenges ahead at Manyberries, we are grateful for the support of all stakeholders involved and the many passionate professionals who work with us in setting a trajectory for the land to return to established native prairie.
“Staff have shown great interest in working with our agency towards recovery of habitat for the critically endangered greater sage-grouse,” says Joel Nicholson, Senior Wildlife Biologist with EPA. “I have been impressed with the rapid action and efficiency of the OWA reclamation program. They have made significant progress in reclamation of the Manyberries oilfield while adapting to work in a very sensitive habitat area. This work will be a key action that should allow sage grouse to persist on the Alberta landscape.”