St. Albert power lines altered to protect birds

Hanneke Brooymans, edmontonjournal.com

Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009

ST. ALBERT - AltaLink used a hovering helicopter and a brave transmission lineman Thursday to install special markers on wires running beside Big Lake.

The $50,000 project aims to reduce bird collisions with the lines.

The company has 138-kilovolt lines running over the mouth of the Sturgeon River at Big Lake. There are also lines passing between Riel Pond and an adjacent marsh.

Riding a helicopter, lineman Wayne Hrushka, left, from AltaLink installs bird deterrents on power lines near Big Lake on Thursday.

Greg Southam, The Journal

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The lake is an important stopover for migrating waterfowl. Hundreds of Canada geese and dozens of tundra swans were passing through on Thursday, as well as a multitude of ducks and shorebirds.

Local birdwatchers have reported seeing birds hit the wire in the past and they've found countless more carcasses underneath them.

AltaLink wanted to relocate the transmission lines and had the provincial parks department willing to help out as well. But the third partner in the deal, the City of St. Albert, backed out in late 2008, removing the relocation of the line from their annual budget.

The installation of the markers on the wire is an interim solution, said Lyndsay Thorlacius, an AltaLink spokeswoman. "Whenever the City of St. Albert gets on board, we are committed to moving the line."

The markers are a combination of coiled, insulated wire that is wrapped around the wires to make them more visible, as well as white tags with yellow stickers that dangle from the wire and reflect light.

The bird markers have reduced collisions by 60 to 90 per cent in other areas, Thorlacius said.

Leah Jackson, St. Albert's environmental manager, applauded the company's efforts.

"AltaLink has been very proactive in terms of its bird mitigation with transmission lines in the province.

"They're trying to do the best they can."

Jackson is still hopeful the city will rejoin the relocation project at some point.

Rod Day, a St. Albert resident and birdwatcher, is skeptical that anything short of relocation will work.

He has seen several dead birds under the lines over the last few years, he said.

He noted that some of the bird markers have been up for a while now and the birds are still dying.

hbrooymans@thejournal.canwest.com

© The Edmonton Journal 2009