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.
|