Gleniffer Lake re-opens for long weekend, three weeks after oil spill

Gleniffer Lake re-opens for long weekend, three weeks after oil spill by Thandi Fletcher, June 28, 2012, Calgary Herald
Three weeks after it was closed due to an oil spill, most of Gleniffer Lake will re-open for recreational use in time for the Canada Day long weekend, the province announced Thursday. On June 7, a pipe-line leaked crude oil into the Red Deer River, where the high river levels flushed the oil into Gleniffer Lake, a man-made reservoir and recreational area about 75 minutes northwest of Calgary. “Lake and shoreline clean-up on Gleniffer Lake has been progressing successfully, with the majority of hydrocarbons contained and removed,” read the announcement from Alberta Environment. Although clean-up of the shoreline is not yet finished, Alberta Environment said the water quality is within Alberta’s standards and does not pose a risk to human health. Swimming and boating are allowed at the lake, but the province is asking boaters to use caution near the far southwest corner of the reservoir near Dickson Point where one containment boom remains. The majority of provincial campgrounds and day-use areas at the reservoir will open this weekend, including Dickson Point, North Dyke, North Valley, South Dyke and South Valey. The Cottonwood day-use area is not yet open. Shoreline fishing is allowed at Dickson Trout Pond. However, the province does not recommend people consume fish from the lake at this time. The province does not yet know when the entire oil spill clean-up will be finished.

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