Alberta oil sands hydrological research
Extraction of bitumen from the Alberta Oil Sands by surface mining will have a major impact on the hydrology of the areas immediately adjacent to each mine, and an impact on any drainage system receiving discharge from the mining or processing areas. Conversely, the hydrology will have a major impac...
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ftunivalberta:oai:era.library.ualberta.ca:d30ebcab-bcd5-4956-a0fc-278edffdf0ac 2023-05-15T15:26:05+02:00 Alberta oil sands hydrological research Conservation and Utilization Committee 1974 https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/d30ebcab-bcd5-4956-a0fc-278edffdf0ac https://doi.org/10.7939/R3JC10 English eng https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/d30ebcab-bcd5-4956-a0fc-278edffdf0ac doi:10.7939/R3JC10 This material is provided under educational reproduction permissions included in Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development's Copyright and Disclosure Statement, see terms at http://www.environment.alberta.ca/copyright.html. This Statement requires the following identification: \"The source of the materials is Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development http://www.environment.gov.ab.ca/. The use of these materials by the end user is done without any affiliation with or endorsement by the Government of Alberta. Reliance upon the end user's use of these materials is at the risk of the end user. Research Needs Hydrology Oil sands Tar Sands Alberta Report 1974 ftunivalberta https://doi.org/10.7939/R3JC10 2022-08-22T20:14:05Z Extraction of bitumen from the Alberta Oil Sands by surface mining will have a major impact on the hydrology of the areas immediately adjacent to each mine, and an impact on any drainage system receiving discharge from the mining or processing areas. Conversely, the hydrology will have a major impact on the mining operations. The exact nature of the impacts is difficult to evaluate, because: (a) both surface and subsurface hydrologic systems of the lower Athabasca River basin are poorly known, (b) the exact nature, amounts and ultimate fate of effluent and tailings materials are uncertain, (c) the degree of utilization of the waters within each basin and the possible physical changes to each basin ate essentially unknown, and (d) the nature and stability of the post-mining landscape, including particularly the success of reclamation and revegetation is open to speculation. In fact, at present we cannot predict even the simpler natural hydrologic characteristics of the river, nor do we have any real idea of the effect of the effluents produced by the oil sands plants. In this context, we generally conclude that the main initial emphasis of hydrologic studies should be on gathering sufficient information that the questions implied in items (a), (b) and (c) can be answered, and hence item (d) appraised. Sufficient data are needed to simulate surface runoff through the mining areas and to simulate groundwater flow systems in the mining areas; background data are needed on the physical and chemical characteristics of rivers and streams to determine present status, and so that pollution loads and other changes can be monitored. It is necessary to know, among other things: flood flows, to decide on the needs for and designs of stream diversions; the low-flow characteristics streams, for pollution control; and the severity of ice runs, again for flood information and diversion designs. To obtain this information, a general two-phase approach is needed: (1) an inventory of the hydrologic resources in the drainage basins ... Report Athabasca River University of Alberta: Era - Education and Research Archive Athabasca River |
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Open Polar |
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University of Alberta: Era - Education and Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivalberta |
language |
English |
topic |
Research Needs Hydrology Oil sands Tar Sands Alberta |
spellingShingle |
Research Needs Hydrology Oil sands Tar Sands Alberta Conservation and Utilization Committee Alberta oil sands hydrological research |
topic_facet |
Research Needs Hydrology Oil sands Tar Sands Alberta |
description |
Extraction of bitumen from the Alberta Oil Sands by surface mining will have a major impact on the hydrology of the areas immediately adjacent to each mine, and an impact on any drainage system receiving discharge from the mining or processing areas. Conversely, the hydrology will have a major impact on the mining operations. The exact nature of the impacts is difficult to evaluate, because: (a) both surface and subsurface hydrologic systems of the lower Athabasca River basin are poorly known, (b) the exact nature, amounts and ultimate fate of effluent and tailings materials are uncertain, (c) the degree of utilization of the waters within each basin and the possible physical changes to each basin ate essentially unknown, and (d) the nature and stability of the post-mining landscape, including particularly the success of reclamation and revegetation is open to speculation. In fact, at present we cannot predict even the simpler natural hydrologic characteristics of the river, nor do we have any real idea of the effect of the effluents produced by the oil sands plants. In this context, we generally conclude that the main initial emphasis of hydrologic studies should be on gathering sufficient information that the questions implied in items (a), (b) and (c) can be answered, and hence item (d) appraised. Sufficient data are needed to simulate surface runoff through the mining areas and to simulate groundwater flow systems in the mining areas; background data are needed on the physical and chemical characteristics of rivers and streams to determine present status, and so that pollution loads and other changes can be monitored. It is necessary to know, among other things: flood flows, to decide on the needs for and designs of stream diversions; the low-flow characteristics streams, for pollution control; and the severity of ice runs, again for flood information and diversion designs. To obtain this information, a general two-phase approach is needed: (1) an inventory of the hydrologic resources in the drainage basins ... |
format |
Report |
author |
Conservation and Utilization Committee |
author_facet |
Conservation and Utilization Committee |
author_sort |
Conservation and Utilization Committee |
title |
Alberta oil sands hydrological research |
title_short |
Alberta oil sands hydrological research |
title_full |
Alberta oil sands hydrological research |
title_fullStr |
Alberta oil sands hydrological research |
title_full_unstemmed |
Alberta oil sands hydrological research |
title_sort |
alberta oil sands hydrological research |
publishDate |
1974 |
url |
https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/d30ebcab-bcd5-4956-a0fc-278edffdf0ac https://doi.org/10.7939/R3JC10 |
geographic |
Athabasca River |
geographic_facet |
Athabasca River |
genre |
Athabasca River |
genre_facet |
Athabasca River |
op_relation |
https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/d30ebcab-bcd5-4956-a0fc-278edffdf0ac doi:10.7939/R3JC10 |
op_rights |
This material is provided under educational reproduction permissions included in Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development's Copyright and Disclosure Statement, see terms at http://www.environment.alberta.ca/copyright.html. This Statement requires the following identification: \"The source of the materials is Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development http://www.environment.gov.ab.ca/. The use of these materials by the end user is done without any affiliation with or endorsement by the Government of Alberta. Reliance upon the end user's use of these materials is at the risk of the end user. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7939/R3JC10 |
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1766356648218066944 |