~Updated December 16, 2012 ~
We have a number of projects underway. Please check back regularly for updates. Email us if you have any ideas or would like to volunteer to help in our efforts.
Charitable Status
The Muriel Lake Basin Management Society is a registered Society under the Societies Act. We are in the process of applying for charitable status.
We are pleased to share that our Bylaws have been approved: MLBMS Bylaws
Research on Muriel Lake and Water Studies
We have a number of ongoing efforts underway to try to get more studies done on Muriel Lake.
(1) Ongoing negotiations with Pengrowth Energy to have an arms length study conducted. We have expressed to Pengrowth our concerns with their draft plan and made suggestions to strenthen the study. We are hopeful that efforts will be made to integrate our input into the much needed water studies. Special thank you to Peter Crown for his review of the draft plans, and help explaining technical information to the MLBMS.
(2) Multi-year groundwater study of Muriel Lake conducted by Brent Welsh. After some delays and questions over whether the study would be completed, Mr. Walsh has confirmed that the final data will be collected March 2012. He has indicated that the data will be analyzed this summer. We patiently await the results of this study.
(3) Requests for support/advice/assistance & spreading awareness.
We have sent a letter seeking help to conduct a water study to environmental organizations, government, and university departments who conduct water research. Check out our letter: Letter Requesting Support to Conduct Studies on Muriel Lake
A concerned Muriel Lake citizen sent us this great powerpoint which shows potential infrastructural changes over the last several years that could have impacted Murie Lake by disrupting surface flow of water:
Oil & Gas Interruption in the Muriel Lake Water Basin
(4) Ongoing Correspondence with Minister McQueen
January 30, 2012, meeting with Environment and Water Minister McQueen. Our presentation: Muriel Lake Presentation for the Environment Minister
We believe the meeting went quite well and recieved positive feedback from the Minister that our message was quite clear. We are hopeful that now that the Minister McQueen has been fully informed of the severity of the problem at Muriel Lake she will be willing to help us. The Minister asked that we provide a list of questions to Richard Charboylo (Team Leader, Environmental Partnership & Planning, Alberta Environment) who was also in attendance at the meeting. Our letter with questions:
Ltr – Richard Charbaylo, Alberta Environment with Questions – March 5, 2012
Response from Richard Charbylo on May 15th – May 15 2012 Response Letter from Richard Chabaylo
Powerpoint presentations that were presented at our AGM by the Alberta Government:
Alberta Govt Presentation at 2012 AGM – Muriel Lake Hydology July 2012 update
Alberta Govt presentation at 2012 AGM – MLBMS.groundwater.pres.Welsh_R2
Alberta Govt Presentation at 2012 AGM – Water Management Issues.Presentation
Our response to the Alberta Governments Presentation at the AGM July 27, 2012 – letter to Richard Charboylo in response to AGM
Ltr to minister mcqueen – Sept 15, 2012
Ltr to minister mcqueen – Oct 2, 2012
Response from Minister McQueen – November 22, 2012
Email Response to Minister McQueen – December 15, 2012
(5) If you recall a few weeks ago we put a post on the homepage which showed documentation we found online where Japan Oilsands was proposing to extract (what seemed to us to be) a lot of water from the Muriel Lake Formation – which is a source of groundwater for Muriel Lake. We have sent the following letter, hoping JACOS will share information with us and draw to their attention our concerns about the water level at Muriel Lake:Final Ltr. JACOS re, Hangingstone Project – March 1, 2012 We recieved this response from JACOS on March 22, 2012 – Reply from JACOS – March 22, 2012 It has been confirmed to us that extraction from the Muriel Lake Formation near Fort McMurray will not impact Muriel Lake, especially because there is quite a distance between the proposed water extraction site and Muriel Lake. Although Muriel Lake and this particular formation share a name, they are not necessarily connected. We have recieved advice on this matter and will not pursue JACOS proposed water extraction from the Muriel Lake Formation any further.
(6) The Alberta Lakewatch Study testing was conducted this summer. Two members of the MLBMS joined the Alberta Lakewatch water tester, and measuring the depth of the lake at various points. We look forward to the results of this research soon!
(7) Alberta Fish and Game conducted a test netting of Muriel Lake to determine if there are any live fish in the lake. NO LIVE SPORT FISH WERE NETTED. This is devistating news for a lake that was once plentiful with fish.
Informing the Public of our Efforts
We have been working hard to be more accountable to the Muriel Lake community.
(1) website
(2) Newsletters – we have emailed out the February newsletter to our email list. If you did not recieve an email from us (we will only send emails 2 or 3 times a year) please send us your email address so we can add you to our list.
MLBMS_newsletter_june_2011[1]
February 2012 Newsletter
MLBMS Newsletter, May 2012
