Wildlife

Wildlife Is Part of This Landscape

The Drywood and Yarrow area and the surrounding southwest Alberta landscape are home to grizzly and black bears, wolves, cougars, elk, moose, deer, birds, bats, fish and amphibians. Local landowners have worked for years to manage and coexist with large carnivores in this area.[1] Some species are already at risk, including grizzly bears, little brown bats and northern leopard frogs. Right here in the watershed, Threatened Bull Trout have been documented in the Drywood and Yarrow creek system.[2]

Noise Changes Habitat

Continuous industrial noise can interfere with how wildlife communicates, feeds, breeds and uses a habitat.

For birds, bats and frogs that depend heavily on sound, changing the natural soundscape is a real concern.[3]

Artificial Light Changes the Night

Industrial lighting can disrupt feeding, migration and normal nighttime behaviour. Migrating birds can become disoriented and be drawn toward artificial light. Bats and other nocturnal wildlife depend on darkness.[4]

Water Is Already Under Pressure

Southern Alberta is already vulnerable to drought. The Government of Alberta says water scarcity is already a reality in parts of southern Alberta.[5] Drought depletes rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater and can result in the degradation or death of fish and wildlife.[5] Any additional pressure or change to groundwater in an already drought prone region raises concern for the waterways, wetlands and wildlife that depend on reliable water. That includes Threatened Northern Leopard Frogs and Bull Trout, both of which depend directly on healthy aquatic habitat. [2] [6]

Wildlife Needs Room

Development brings buildings, traffic, noise, light and human activity. For animals such as grizzly bears, wolves, elk and moose, disturbance and loss of connected habitat can change how they move through and use the landscape. [1]

Now Put It All Together

A data centre and gas plant could bring 24 hour noise, artificial light, water demand, traffic and habitat disturbance into the same rural landscape. The concern is not just one impact. It is what happens when all of these pressures are added together.

What Are We Willing to Risk?

This is not just a site on a map. It is part of a landscape already shared by people, wildlife and water. Before development of this scale moves forward, we should know what lives here, where it moves and what could be affected.