Creating a Recreational Lake at TransAlta's Whitewood Mine

This paper describes the co-operative participation of the Alberta Government Departments of Forestry, Lands and Wildlife; Recreation and Parks; Environment; the County of Parkland and TransAlta Utilities in the design and construction of a replacement lake for Whitewood Lake and Lake 'A', both of which had to be drained in preparation for safe and efficient coal mining.  The water in the replacement lake will cover 18.5 hectares set in a reclaimed area of 108 hectares. The lake site has been designed to have the potential for development as a put and take fishery, day use recreation and nature viewing. Special features incorporated in the lake design are a picnic area, campsite, boat launch and beach. The lake design was started in 1982, construction was underway in 1987 and the area surrounding the lake will be revegetated by the end of 1990. After revegetation, the lake and adjacent land, a total of 126 hectares, will be exchanged with the Alberta Government
for the land under Whitewood Lake and Lake 'A'.