Critical Habitat: Technical & Regulatory Support in Sensitive River Corridors

Orphan Well Association | Alberta
Technical & Regulatory Support

Cornice supported the Orphan Well Association in collaboration with Vertex Resource Group in the planning, permitting, environmental risk assessment, and field implementation of legacy wellbore abandonment activities within Castle River Provincial Park, Alberta.

The project involved the abandonment of multiple legacy well sites within the West Castle River corridor, an environmentally sensitive setting supporting Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout critical habitat, active recreational use, provincial park values, and multiple regulatory jurisdictions. Construction activities included temporary bridge access, well abandonment adjacent to the active river channel, environmental monitoring, and progressive site restoration.

Technical & Regulatory Support in Practice

This project reflects the Cornice Team’s capability in complex and environmentally sensitive environments:

• Navigating multiple regulatory and permitting requirements

• Identifying and managing environmental risks before and during construction

• Developing practical mitigation measures for sensitive fish and aquatic habitats

• Integrating environmental monitoring directly into construction activities

• Supporting regulatory compliance while enabling project objectives

• Adapting mitigation strategies as site conditions and risks evolved

Cornice operated as a technical and regulatory layer between project planning, field execution, and environmental protection requirements, helping to ensure risks were understood, mitigation measures were effective, and project objectives were achieved responsibly.

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The Challenge

The Orphan Well Association was advancing the abandonment of legacy well infrastructure within the West Castle River valley in Castle River Provincial Park, southwestern Alberta.

The project required temporary access across the river and wellbore abandonment activities in a sensitive river corridor with several overlapping constraints:

• West Castle River is mapped as a Class B watercourse with critical fish habitat values

• Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout are documented in the system, with critical habitat identified in the corridor

• One wellbore was located approximately 2 m from the active riverbank

• Temporary bridge access was required across West Castle River

• Work occurred within provincial park lands and an active recreational setting

• Multiple regulatory and land use stakeholders were involved

• Construction timing needed to account for restricted activity periods, low-flow conditions, and site restoration requirements

Project Requirements

• Clear regulatory pathways across DFO, SARA, AER, and Alberta Parks requirements

• Practical environmental protection planning for work near critical fish habitat

• Field-level coordination between project managers, contractors, regulators, and land managers

• Real-time monitoring of water quality, fish presence, wildlife, and construction conditions

• Adaptive mitigation for drilling, cementing, temporary access, and bridge installation/removal

• Site restoration that returned temporary access areas and public-use features to a stable condition

The Outcome

• Legacy wellbores successfully abandoned in a sensitive park and river corridor

• Temporary bridge access installed, managed, and removed as planned

• Regulatory requirements met across DFO, SARA, AER, and Alberta Parks pathways

• Water quality maintained with no significant downstream effects identified

• Fish presence monitored throughout; no redds or fish habitat impacts identified

• No major environmental incidents during construction

• Site restoration completed, including removal of temporary infrastructure, reseeding, and reinstatement of public access features

Construction progressed in a highly sensitive setting with environmental mitigation, monitoring, and adaptive controls implemented throughout.