AWEL / Environmental studies

Environmental studies

The Bras d'Or watershed is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and sacred Mi'kmaw water. The bar for evidence here is high, and every result is published before any construction decision.

Baseline surveys are the first 12 months of any responsible wind project. They establish what is here now, so that what changes later can be measured against it.

Programme

Study	What it measures	Status
Avian radar and point-count surveys	Migration corridors, raptor use, breeding birds — spring and fall seasons	Under way
Bat acoustic monitoring	Species presence and activity by height and season, to set curtailment rules	Under way
Species at Risk screening	Federal SARA and provincial ESA species; habitat mapping	Under way
Wetland and watercourse delineation	Buffers for every road, pad and cable crossing	2027
Hydrology and Bras d'Or watershed assessment	Runoff, sediment and drainage pathways into the lake system	2027
Archaeological and Mi'kmaw Ecological Knowledge study	Led with community partners; findings shared with the communities first	2027
Visual Impact Assessment	Photomontages from Baddeck, the Cabot Trail and the lakeshore	2027
Noise and shadow-flicker modelling	Every dwelling within 2 km, against NS Environment limits	2027

Commitments that do not depend on study results

No turbine within 600 m of any dwelling; noise held under 40 dB(A) at every home.
No turbine in the most sensitive zones of the Bras d'Or watershed.
Automatic curtailment during peak bat migration and for shadow flicker at occupied properties.
A dedicated environmental liaison through construction and operation.
Full decommissioning bond in place before the first foundation is poured.

Read the results

Each study is published on this page, in full, within five business days of completion. Summaries are written for non-specialists. Questions to community@awel.ca.