MacKenzie Creek watershed is located about 50 km south of Hinton, Alberta and encompasses approximately 137 km2 and drains surface flow in a northerly direction towards MacKenzie Creek's confluence with the McLeod River.
The MacKenzie Creek watershed is a scenic landscape heavily utilized by off-highway vehicles (OHV). The trail is heavily rutted and many stream crossings contribute sediment to nearby watercourses. This use along with an ad-hoc trail system is negatively impacting the aquatic habitat of critical spawning habitat for threatened Bull Trout and Athabasca Rainbow Trout.
In 2022, the Phase 1 trail upgrades were completed which rectified imminent environmental concerns for the first 13 km section of the alignment. Upgrades spanned the section of trail between the Highway 40 Staging Area and Chutes Staging Area. The Phase 1 Issued for Construction Drawings (Parts 1 – 3) are attached in Appendix 3.
In Phase 2, the majority of the trail will be reclaimed/replaced by a longer loop trail, improving the OHV trail riding experience with access points to MacKenzie Creek, scenic viewpoints, and a day-use area mid-way through the loop. The new trail will also facilitate monitoring and enforcement of the fishing closure by the Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Branch.
The Project involves the rehabilitation of MacKenzie Creek (i.e., erosion control, watercourse crossing improvements), re-routing OHV trails away from MacKenzie Creek, and creating a sustainable OHV trail loop with an enhanced OHV user experience. The Project focuses on the following four components:
.1 Remediation of current OHV impacts.
.2 Installation of appropriate watercourse crossings (bridges, culverts, etc.).
.3 Upgrade, re-routing, and construction of OHV trails.
.4 Physical and biological assessments of the MacKenzie Creek system and evaluation of project impacts.
The MacKenzie Creek Trail Phase 2 Project Plan is attached in Appendix 4. Maps of the proposed Phase 2 trail alignment are attached in Appendix 6. The purpose of this RFP is to invite Proposals from suitably qualified Proponents who demonstrate sufficient experience and qualification to provide detailed design, secure approvals, prepare tender documents and perform contract administration and construction monitoring services for the proposed works as identified and supported by the Project Plan.
