Letter from the GLWS President | April 1, 2024

Potential Aquifer Pumping

Hydrogeological Consultants Ltd. (HCL) was commissioned, in January 2024, to complete a Gull Lake area hydrology study on the Paskapoo Haynes formation.  The objective of the study is to determine the viability and long-term sustainability of the deep source fresh water supply from lower Paskapoo Haynes members and to identify any potential concerns related to pumping water from the Haynes formation into Gull Lake.  We hope to have a draft report by the end of April with the final report delivered in May.

There was a delay in obtaining oil and gas well log data.  It took me most of March to obtain and interpret the logs and HCL now has the data.  Thirty-eight oil and gas wells with Paskapoo data were identified in the Gull Lake drainage basin.  All the wells show Haynes sand that is 60-100 meters thick with consistent clean sand at the base averaging 30-40 meters thickness.  This Haynes basal sand is continuous across the base of the Paskapoo over a massive area.  The 40 meters of Haynes basal sand holds over five billion barrels of water just beneath the perimeter of Gull Lake alone and over 15 billion barrels of water beneath the Gull Lake drainage basin.

HCL could find only two Haynes water wells within 15 kilometers of Gull Lake.  Both are older wells and are located in a Burnco gravel pit 5 km east of the lake.  The initial fluid levels in the wells were recorded at 830 m sea level (70 meters below Gull Lake) in the early 1990s.   It is not yet determined if the wells are active to obtain fresh samples for chemical and compatibility analyses.  HCL is trying to track down the Burnco wells’ status and information.  The nearest Haynes well data and water chemistry are from wells east of Lacombe.  This is positive in the sense, that there are no competitive usage concerns from the Haynes aquifer within the Gull Lake Drainage basin.

The potential benefits of the Haynes water are:

• the pristine water quality for the lake.
• the continuous and uninterruptable year-round supply.
• drought resiliency with the Haynes as a water source which is unaffected by the present surface drought conditions in the east and southern part of the province because of the immense size of the Haynes aquifer and with continuous recharge occurring in the wetlands of the foothills to the west.
• the clear fresh water would be a deterrent for the Prussian Carp. 
• the Haynes source wells can be located in strategic locations around the lake with hydrants and loading facilities to provide high volume fresh water supply for emergency and domestic needs.

There are a couple of different development concepts that will be discussed once the HCL report has been completed.  Cost analysis will also be provided then.  Provincial and federal drought relief funding and emergency fire hazard funding may be available and need to be investigated.

There is a County of Lacombe councilor that has taken an interest in the Haynes water project, with the concept of setting up fresh water hydrants in key locations for emergency use.  More on that as it progresses. 

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Happy Easter to all our Members!

Norval Horner
GLWS President