A proportion (25% to 100%) of the water used in hydraulic fracturing is not recovered, and consequently this water is lost permanently to re-use, which differs from some other water uses in which water can be recovered and processed for re-use.
When wind and drought collide with sheer stupidity by Robert Costa, Feb 07, 2025, Crowsnest Headwaters
The view looks west on the Crowsnest River arm of the nearly bone dry Oldman Reservoir in March of 2024 when the MD of Pincher Creek, at colossal expense, created a platform and well site (lower right) from which to supply its residents with drinking water. The Livingstone Range dominates the backdrop.
An open letter to Premier Danielle Smith by David McIntyre
When wind and drought collide with sheer stupidity
Premier Danielle Smith,
Here in the extreme upper headwaters of the Crowsnest River, on the downstream, downwind side of Grassy Mountain, the devastating impacts of protracted drought, water shortages, hurricane-force winds, sandblasting dust storms, and dry lake beds dominate discussion.
The mid-winter dust storms, widespread, are most apparent here within the stark expanse of blowing dirt that defines the dry, cracked, wind-whipped footprint of the Oldman Reservoir.
This basin of windblown silt holds the drought-stricken remnants of the Castle, Crowsnest, and Upper Oldman rivers.
The bony remains of these streams snake their way through collapsing walls of mud to converge in a treacherous expanse of boot-grabbing, leg-sucking muck. Within it are the bones of cattle and deer that, mired in the mud, have died there.
Last year the Municipal District of Pincher Creek, responding to residents’ critical need for drinking water, created a makeshift roadway onto this bed of windblown silt. At the road’s unstable “quicksandy” end, a platform was constructed, and from it a well was drilled. Water was subsequently pumped and trucked—at great expense—to area residents.
The same costly, herculean effort may be required again this year. The reservoir’s water level, falling, is critically low.
The Government of Alberta, aware of this year’s dire water supply crisis, has issued a “water shortage advisory” for the Crowsnest and Upper Oldman rivers. This was done at the same time the same government—incongruously!—exposed the same critical headwaters of these rivers to new and needless coal exploration, i.e., additional roads and other forms of intense, widespread, irreversible watershed destruction.
It appears the government’s focus is defined by a singular, shortsighted, short-term, myopic vision: mining mountains for thin seams of coal. Nothing else matters. Rendered meaningless and expendable are the land’s internationally acclaimed beauty, its ecological worth, and its ability to provide life-sustaining water to hundreds of thousands of Albertans living downstream.
And more in SK and MB.
Here in Alberta, where wind and drought now collide with what I see as wholesale land-use mismanagement, severe negligence, and sheer stupidity, a bleak “water shortage advisory” report is on the table. It demands immediate attention. But, instead of being addressed, it just sits there.
More important is the government’s absurd commitment to intensify industrialized large-scale headwaters annihilation in a blind quest to mine coal.While rendering less harmful wind and solar energy nearly impossible to install in Alberta via lunatic serve fossil fuel polluters laws.
I see this as declaration of war against water—a covenant to kill it at its source.
What are you going to do, today, to save the spectacular headwaters of southwestern Alberta and the people of southern Alberta from the government you’ve been elected to lead?
What are you going to do to save the wounded Crowsnest River and the bleeding Oldman?The foreign billionaire serving quisling is too busy licking the orange Nazi’s balls to do anything to protect, restore or save water in Alberta. Even in this unprecedented drought and escalating extremes from our pollution caused global warming, the UCP refuse to criminalize hydraulic fracturing, never mind restore the wise 1976 Coal Policy.
David McIntyre
Photo of super idiot, War on Water Alberta Premier Danielle Smith: “Because Trump’s balls ain’t gonna lick themselves.
I hope this letter is circulated far and wide. It explains exactly what we are dealing with.
I haven’t been able to grow a decent garden in Nanton for ten years. I water my flowers, and get a few beets. It just takes too much effort to water twice a day, with water I’ve retrieved from rinse water and even having a bucket in the shower.
Why are we in this position? Who will benefit from these coal mines? Not our children or grandchildren. And no one is mentioning the devastation to wildlife.
I am a bluebird and tree swallow monitor on the Eastern slopes. Our group has over 5000 boxes, necessary to help these second-cavity nesters who are suffering from habitat loss, noise pollution, light pollution, lack of insects… Our numbers are down 50%. If this goes through, fish, birds, and all wildlife will be decimated. We must communicate clearly that this cannot go through. The cost is too high, for all of us.
I love trees and planted over 100 on my 50 acres at Rosebud Alberta. Most died from the escalating heat extremes, insane winds, and lack of rain. I walked and carried water for them, by hand, from jugs filled from the river that runs through my land which did not help much because of the heat.
Spoiled Albertans have no idea how hideous it is to die from excess heat and what’s ahead.
I love black currants. I planted two shrubs which are doing remarkably well, with fabulously abundant harvests for me and the birds, but, two years ago the heat was so extreme, the wildfire smoke so toxic and thick, and the winds so wild with no rains in spring or summer, there were too few currants to harvest. I let the birds have the few that survived to maturity.
Last year, was another bad year, too hot, too dry, crazy dry spring and summer, and I was too depressed and exhausted to haul water by truck from town for them. The river on my place went nearly dry last year. This part of it in the photo below dried up to just a few tiny puddles of mucky gunk. Blue heron took to perching on the corrals to hunt Richardson ground squirrel because they couldn’t fish.
The currant shrubs still provided me (and my friends) black currant jam and the birds a good feed harvest, but the currants were tiny from the drought causing much me more work picking them and trimming the stems and tails.
Living without water in extreme heat winds and toxic wildfire smoke is pure hell.
NigelBankes @nigelb.bsky.social:
Nicely done David McIntyre. …
Why are the numbers down now? What is the extent of the 5000 boxes? Can you provide a map?
Have a look at our website mountainbluebird.org for our reports and more information. We send our reports to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ellis Bird Farm and the North American Bluebird Society.
Rugged Broad @ruggedbroad.bsky.social:
Gawd. That hit me right in the gut.
How DARE they. It’s SO DRY DOWN HERE.
James David Payne @jimmydp01.bsky.social:
” When wind and drought collide with sheer stupidity “