Riel Industrial Sector Plan Amendment

Natural Area Screening

Part of the sector planning process includes completion of a Natural Area Screening study to better understand the natural and historical assets that are present in a project area. The Natural Area Screening for the Riel Industrial Sector Plan amendment study area was completed in September 2023 by Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd. Below is a summary of the key findings and independent recommendations provided by Triton in their Natural Area Screening report, which will be considered as part of the Sector Plan amendment or as part of future concept planning processes.

Read Triton's full Natural Screening report for more detailed findings and recommendations.

Key Findings

Summary of key findings from Triton's Natural Area Screening report:

Wetlands and natural areas

• 144 wetlands were classified in the study area ranging in permanence from Class II to Class V.
• A large wetland complex known as the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex is in the east side of the study area.
• Modifications of the wetlands within the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex needs further study to determine potential impacts.

Groundwater and hydrology

• Natural surface drainage in the west side of the study area flows in general from northwest to southeast.
• The east side of the study area generally flows into the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex and the South Saskatchewan River.
• The Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex flows into Opimihaw Creek during high rain events.
• Groundwater in the study area is assumed to be closely tied to the Upper Floral aquifer.

Soil

• Soils in the study area is predominantly classified as Dark Brown and current land use is primarily agricultural.
• 53 areas of potential environmental concern were identified from a variety of substances.

Vegetation

• Two provincially tracked plant species were recorded and 12 historical occurrences of provincially tracked plants were documented within 500 metres of the study area.
• The study area appears to contain some areas of native grassland, including areas on the South Saskatchewan riverbank.
• Both noxious and nuisance weed plant species were common throughout the study area.

Wildlife

• Two wildlife species of concern were recently recorded and 13 historical occurrences of wildlife of concern were documented in the study area.
• The Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex and South Saskatchewan River valley provide the highest quality wildlife habitat in the study area.

Heritage and cultural

• Several heritage sensitive areas, including two homesteads, were identified in the study area.
• There is high potential for archaeological sites along the South Saskatchewan riverbank.
• The study area borders Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a Provincial Heritage Property and National Historic Site of Canada, and potentially a future UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes significant natural and archaeological resources representing over 6,400 years of history of the Northern Plains Indigenous peoples and is an important cultural center.

Recommendations

Summary of independent recommendations from Triton’s Natural Area Screening report:

• Conserving the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex as an important natural area, habitat, and ecological corridor within the City of Saskatoon.
• Minimizing natural area loss and degradation by incorporating buffers around natural areas.
• Conducting wetland functional assessments as well as wildlife and rare plant species detection surveys.
• Assessing the ecological connectivity of natural areas to target habitat corridors for conservation.
• Further assessing groundwater and surface water conditions to evaluate ecological services including flood control, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and climate adaptation.
• Monitoring the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex for impacts to environmental function.
• Conducting further studies on archaeological and heritage sensitive lands to avoid impacting these sites.