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Old 02-25-2020, 01:57 PM
Gunfever Gunfever is offline
 
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Default Coal mine near Hinton wants water from McLeod river

Hey guys,

Wondering if any of you can shed light on some disturbing information that came about in a recent interaction with a colleague. He had heard that a mining company in Hinton Had applied to pull a significant amount of water from the McLeod river. They use the water to wash coal at the mine site. I fish this river and it just doesn’t seem to be large enough to be able to support that. Anyone know or hear anything about this?
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Old 02-25-2020, 02:08 PM
Sooner Sooner is offline
 
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I am 52 now, been camping at the Mcleod since I was a baby and fished it almost as long. In that time I have seen it go from a big river you would never try to cross to you can cross it almost anywhere.


I can't see a mining company sucking water out being good for that river.
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Old 02-25-2020, 02:10 PM
Smoky buck Smoky buck is offline
 
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I would need full information of there water usage plan before I judged it. Some plans involve returning water to the system after properly tearted
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Old 02-25-2020, 02:18 PM
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Dean2 Dean2 is offline
 
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My first reaction is "NO WAY IN HELL" followed by they would have to do some seriously fancy talking to get me to even think about it. Like Sooner said, it has gone from a major river when I first fished it in the late 60s to a trickle already, it doesn't need to lose even more flow.
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Old 02-25-2020, 02:25 PM
CDNOutdoorsman CDNOutdoorsman is offline
 
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show up and protest the water pipeline, its how we get what we want in Canada now.
Maybe try and get a FN to join, its the trump card that will guarantee the results youre hoping to acheive...
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Old 02-25-2020, 02:26 PM
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troutbug troutbug is offline
 
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Any idea which mine? If it is the newest one, well I would most definitely be worried. After working on that site they have zero respect for natural resources.
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Old 02-25-2020, 06:24 PM
270person 270person is offline
 
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I'd be just as worried about where the water goes after it's washed the coal.
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Old 02-26-2020, 09:03 AM
Big Grey Wolf Big Grey Wolf is offline
 
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Using crystal clear water from the Mcleod river to wash dirty thermal coal has to be the ultimate craziness. We could more than meet the Paris accord by shutting down All thermal coal production in Canada and replace it with Clean Green natural gas. So simple no windmills or solar panels required.
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Old 02-26-2020, 12:18 PM
jednastka jednastka is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf View Post
We could more than meet the Paris accord by shutting down All thermal coal production in Canada and replace it with Clean Green natural gas. So simple no windmills or solar panels required.

The only minor problem is that currently, neither the supply of natural gas nor the gas distribution system itself is able to handle such a major load increase.
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Old 02-26-2020, 12:26 PM
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1899b 1899b is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by troutbug View Post
Any idea which mine? If it is the newest one, well I would most definitely be worried. After working on that site they have zero respect for natural resources.
I worked for Coal Valley Mine for 5 years and they were no different. Not a fan...
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Old 02-26-2020, 01:38 PM
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bloopbloob bloopbloob is offline
 
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Just curious, how big is the river these days? I grew up in Edson and fished it all the time 20 years ago. Haven't seen it since. It had to have been at least 300 feet wide or more back then.
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Old 02-26-2020, 02:50 PM
Sooner Sooner is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bloopbloob View Post
Just curious, how big is the river these days? I grew up in Edson and fished it all the time 20 years ago. Haven't seen it since. It had to have been at least 300 feet wide or more back then.
As a kid camping beside it west of Robb(and still today), it went from shoreline to shoreline and was a solid 2 plus feet deep all the way across and moving fast in the middle.


Now, it fills in the middle, west side is just puddles & exposed rock(just like it looks where the bridge cross's it on highway 16).

We now walk across to the other side of the campground with ease in the fastest spot. Knee deep at best if you step in a hole.


A a kid fishing with dad on the Gregg river, you had to pick and choose your crossing points and hold on to his hand. Now it is a trickle compared to then.

I do remember one time we walked the Gregg back to the Mcleod and had to cross it. 3 teenagers and dad in the lead. All of hanging on to each other and boy was that scary. You didn't lift one foot until you knew the other was planted. Water was above the knees and moving fast, we had to walk a ways upstream of where the Gregg meets the McLeod to find some kind of shallower water. If we would have fell, it would have been to the big hole for sure. Now we swim in that big hole where the two rivers meet.

It is cool to put on the googles and see all the fish below hanging out in the rocks and currents.
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Old 02-26-2020, 03:17 PM
Mossyoak Mossyoak is offline
 
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Very strange idea from a coal mine. It has to be the new mine outside Hinton.

Many in the area will be torn with this as its a very "for/pro Coal" area but there's also many people that a "for clean rivers toward outdoor recreation"

I will ask my friend at AER... personally there's gotta be more facts here before I weigh in.
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Old 02-26-2020, 10:14 PM
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bezzola bezzola is offline
 
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My son works at coal valley by cadomin ill ask him if he has heard anything.
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  #15  
Old 02-27-2020, 10:10 AM
Gunfever Gunfever is offline
 
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Confirmed from my buddy that the mine is coalspur. Frustrating....
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Old 02-27-2020, 11:03 AM
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troutbug troutbug is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunfever View Post
Confirmed from my buddy that the mine is coalspur. Frustrating....
Figured it was them (Bighorn/coalspur/chinook)
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