Wabamun Fishing Impacts

[Sundancefisher]

http://www.transalta.com/facilities/...le-mine/pit-08

Big new coal mine going in just south of Wabamun. Any impacts to fishing?

[Smokey]

I won't pretend to knowledgable, but theres a number of them around Wabumum, and its not a power plant.

[EZM]

It's going to be hard to comment until a few qualified experts begin weighing into this.

I think the proximity to Wabamun, the water use (if any), the water discharge (if any), the impact on watershed (rain water with contaminants spilling into the lake) etc...are key contributing factors.

Out on the lake you can see a great big mining shovel (it has to be 60 feet tall) working away not too far from the south shore on the west side of the lake. I don't see any evidence of anything environmentally going on there but, of course, unless you test the baseline, and monitor the water you just may not be aware of the impact.

On one hand, a return of warm water, as long as it's clean, discharged back into the lake may make many fisherman happy who spoke about the heydays of the old plant and all the giant winter pike.

On the other, that had to have had some environmental impact (not sure if it was good or bad).

I am curious to learn more about this. Protecting such an excellent fishery is my main interest.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by EZM

It's going to be hard to comment until a few qualified experts begin weighing into this.

I think the proximity to Wabamun, the water use (if any), the water discharge (if any), the impact on watershed (rain water with contaminants spilling into the lake) etc...are key contributing factors.

Out on the lake you can see a great big mining shovel (it has to be 60 feet tall) working away not too far from the south shore on the west side of the lake. I don't see any evidence of anything environmentally going on there but, of course, unless you test the baseline, and monitor the water you just may not be aware of the impact.

On one hand, a return of warm water, as long as it's clean, discharged back into the lake may make many fisherman happy who spoke about the heydays of the old plant and all the giant winter pike.

On the other, that had to have had some environmental impact (not sure if it was good or bad).

I am curious to learn more about this. Protecting such an excellent fishery is my main interest.

This is an extension of the other mines. Likely if anything the impact would be access to the river if there was any.

It would be a good opportunity to develop a new fishery close to a large population base following reclamation (end pit lake potential). Now is the time when local fisherman in the area should be communicating with the project proponents and regulators.

[dragon]

Not a power plant, Its a new pit on an already existing mine.

They are applying for this permit now so as current pits become unfeasible to mine they can move their operation over. Giving that the reclamation of mines is much more stringent then in the past I cant see it having much if any effect.

the mining and processing of thermal coal is not really the enviromental focus point from a fisheries perspective. The power plant is by far the larger impact.

[Mxyzptik]

The new mine pit is south of the Wabamun Lake watershed divide by a couple of miles.

Not this mine, but a paper recently posted online about reclamation areas a few hours west and the fisheries being developed utilizing new reclamation techniques. (cardinal river mine, gregg river mine area). Figured a few guys may be interested.

https://www.uleth.ca/dspace/handle/10133/3106