AER/AGS Roles and Responsibilities Manual for the Turtle Mountain Monitoring Program, Alberta

The Turtle Mountain Monitoring System (TMMS) is a near-real-time remote monitoring system that provides data from a network of sensors located at Turtle Mountain in the Crowsnest Pass, site of the 1903 Frank Slide. As of April 1, 2005, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, now the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), through the Alberta Geological Survey (AGS), took ownership of this system and management of the Turtle Mountain Monitoring Program.

The Turtle Mountain Monitoring Program conducts ongoing monitoring and research focused on understanding the kinematics of movements of Turtle Mountain’s unstable eastern slopes, including an annual detailed review of the TMMS data stream. To help in this interpretation, the AGS has initiated specific studies to better understand the structure of the mountain and its relationship to the style and rate of movement seen in recent and historical deformations of South Peak. These studies also better define the unstable volumes of rock from the South, North and Third Peak areas.

This report provides information regarding the AGS’ ownership of the TMMS and the specific roles and responsibilities of AER/AGS staff during normal operations, for long-term monitoring, interpretation of data and, during varying alert levels, notification of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) should significant rock movements occur. A separate document prepared by the AEMA outlines the action plans for the stakeholders and first responders in the Crowsnest Pass.