Water Issues
WHAT IS DEWATERING
The area of the 2,400 acre open pit mine must be dewatered. What is dewatering? This is the removal of large quantities of fresh clean water to lower the water table in the area in which they are working. They must remove the water at a faster rate than it can be recharged. This will result in what is known as the cone of depression. What problems does this create?
The water table in the immediate area of the pump will drop. Wells in the draw-down area will have their water levels drop or the wells can go dry. Nature likes to remain in balance. To keep the water level in equilibrium, ground water will be drawn from every direction, for a large radius, to replace the water removed. The direction of the ground-water flow will be altered; all water will be drawn toward the area being dewatered.
When enough water has been removed, another problem will result called land subsidence. Land subsidence happens when an aquifer is over-pumped. Water between the soil particles is replaced with air space; the soil is no longer buoyed up by the water, the soil surface collapses. The results are soil compaction and sink holes. The soil's structure is destroyed; it will no longer ever be able to store water. These changes are permanent and irreversible.
Karst Drainage Map
Prepared by Hunter and Associates
The following is only a portion of the entire map. The full map is a large file, 4.6MB. It can be downloaded by clicking here Karst Drainage Map.pdf
A portion of the NVCA stream health map of 2002.
Hornings Mills is centred on the map.
Green is classed as unimpaired
Yellow is below potential
Red is impaired
This map may be interpreted as showing that the watershed in our area was in a “below potential” state in 2002, a number of years prior to the lands purchased by the Highland Companies. Our community must ensure that these yellow classifications do not degrade to red.
A complete map of the Nottawasaga drainage basin and the corresponding technical report can be obtained by clicking on the following links:
The Grand River‚s headwaters originate in the highlands of County of Dufferin, and flow south to Lake Erie, discharging near Dunnville. More than 800,000 people live in the watershed.
http://www.cielap.org/pdf/drinkingwater.pdf
AEMOT study
The AEMOT Groundwater Management Study area encompasses approximately 1,850 square kilometres in the eastern half of Grey County and northeast fringe of Dufferin County. The Townships of Artemesia, Euphrasia, Melancthon, Osprey and the Town of The Blue Mountains (referred to as AEMOT) are the headwaters of several Ontario major river systems, including the Grand, the Nottawasaga, the Saugeen and the Beaver. Groundwater discharge supports stream baseflow and, in the headwater areas, high quality coldwater stream habitat. Groundwater also supports a diverse range of agricultural, commercial and recreational land uses, and provides water supplies for the majority of the 14,000 residents.
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/groundwater/aemot/index.htm
Highlands under fire over water wells
By Wes Keller
Shelburne Free Press& Economist May 21, 2009
Hard on the heels of a Dufferin County Council meeting at which it appeared that the Highlands
Companies had not violated any existing tree-cutting bylaws, the consultant for North Dufferin
Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) has released correspondence appearing to
prove that Highlands's well-driller has been in non-compliance with provincial regulations.
Highlands owns about 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) in a seamless parcel it has assembled between
Melancthon and Mulmur. NDACT is accusing it of removing about 2,000 trees in Melancthon,
in most cases without permits, and is seeking a stop-work order on tree cutting both in woodlots
and on fence rows.
Melancthon does not have a tree-cutting bylaw, and the county one generally applies only to
woodlots of greater than 1 ha (2.5 acres).
Although bylaws and regulations are almost always open to judicial interpretation, there's a
general county council consensus, and the opinion of staff, that its bylaw did not apply to any of
the cutting done by Highlands without a permit.
That has not changed the allegations, however. On June 4, the Museum Committee is to examine
aerial photographs taken by NDACT member Jim Black purporting to support the allegations.
Meantime, the Ministry of Environment has agreed with NDACT consultant Garry Hunter well
drillers for Highlands have been in non-compliance with regulations with respect to records and,
possibly, with protecting wellheads from "surficial contamination."
"It is clear that certain information is missing from the well records, in particular 'Results of
Well Yield Testing' and/or static water levels," a May 11 ministry letter signed by Technical
Support Manager Carl Slater reads in part.
"This is unacceptable and the well owner has been advised. This non-compliance will be referred
to the Investigation and Enforcement Branch for further investigation to determine if charges are
warranted," he continues.
Mr. Hunter had also raised the issue of possible contamination. Specifically, he said the "eastern
monitoring wells in the Wilson cluster (were constructed) in an ill-advised location within an
internally drainng depressesion immediately adjacent to a bulk dry fertilizer loading facility." He
said the dry spills and fertilizer dust are "mobilized during snowmelt and heavy rainfall events."
The depression, he said, has now been excavated and a permeable gravel berm constructed to
better accommodate heavy equipment but (the gravel fill) "has now created a sump around the
well head for seepage collection through the granular pad and berms."
Mr. Hunter suggests that these wells be moved to a higher location.
In its response, the Ministry says it is "a concern that a well may be placed in a location that has
the potential to introduce surficial contamination into an aquifer. Where such a potential exists,
appropriate well construction and grading must be undertaken to prevent this."
Mr. Slater said the Ministry has "directed the well driller to take appropriate action to prevent the
entry of surficial contamination into the aquifer on a site by site basis."
At Highlands, spokesman Michael Daniher said that to his knowledge the ministry's advice had
been that the compliance issues were "largely administrative."
He hadn't seen the Hunter/Ministry correspondence on well locations but said several steps had
been taken to correct the wellhead complaint.
In an email response, he listed the following as his understanding: "Our environmental engineers
have discussed with the MOE the matter of the sloping of ground to ensure that water runs away
from monitoring wells; The issue is ensuring that the ground is mounded in such a way that
water runs away from the wells so as to prevent depressions from forming in which water might
pond by the well sites; A number of monitoring wells were installed during the winter, and some
ground settled afterwards; Our environmental engineers are in the process of reviewing each
monitoring well and taking the steps to ensure that the ground is mounded in such a way as to
ensure that water runs away from them."
On the tree issue at county council last week, NDACT member and 33-year Mulmur farmer said,
among other things, that the Highlands tree cutting has been unnecessary to successful farming
operations.
He criticised the removal of tree lines and fence rows, saying such are necessary to avoid wind
erosion.
On behalf ofNDACT, he asked that the county fully enforce its forestry bylaw, that a stop-work
order be issued immediately "with regard to fence row removal, site alteration and tree cutting
and removal," and that "any applications or requests for permits, made by the Highlands
Companies or their representatives, be published on the County Web site for public awareness
and input."
Mr. Cosack's lengthy presentation raised several jurisdictional issues Among those, Amaranth
Mayor Don MacIver asked about the tree-cutting where permits had not been issued. Shelburne
Mayor Ed Crewson reiterated that the county's bylaw in Melancthon applies to woodlots
exceeding one hectare.
"It's up to the local municipality to pass a bylaw (and) to pass (enforcement) responsibility up to
the county," he said.
Questions arose about whether anyone has jurisdiction over fence rows, and the cutting of trees
on those became contentious.
East Luther Grand Valley Mayor John Oosterhof suggested that, if Highlands required a permit
for every tree, so would every farmer in the county.
"Then so be it," responded Mr. Cosack.