Spring breakup flows in the lower Peace River

Over the past five decades, many lakes, ponds, and wetlands (generically termed basins) of the Peace Sector of the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), a significant component of the Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP), have experienced drying trends in-between infrequent flooding generated by major spring ice jams that form in the lower Peace River. As a result of the 2017 UNESCO Monitoring Mission report, numerous remedial recommendations were made in the Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) Action Plan that has been prepared by Parks Canada in conjunction with various stakeholders, e.g. first nations, industry, provincial and territorial governments, federal departments. One of these recommendations is to develop a protocol for spring flow releases from the Peace Canyon Dam (or Site-C Dam in the future), which can enhance anticipated ice-jam flooding of the PAD. A key variable in such considerations is the river flow during the spring breakup of the ice cover. Using historical water Survey of Canada records of daily flow at a nearby hydrometric station (Peace River at Peace Point 59° 07' 05" N 112° 26' 13" W), peak daily and peak 7-day average flows have been determined for all years of the instrumental period that specifically apply to each year’s spring breakup event. These flows are provided in the attached excel file.