Search for geothermal sources in Kootenay Lake area continues

Local Journalism Initiative
·2 min read

People looking into the potential of tapping into geothermal energy around Kootenay Lake say they made some promising finds during their second exploration season.

A member of a group working on the project said results of Phase Two of the Kootenay Lake Geothermal project makes continuing the effort to look for commercially viable geothermal vents worthwhile.

“We have an anomalously high geothermal spring flow. We have hot springs. Those are all very positive,” said Dan Gatto, a volunteer with the Kootenay Lake Community Services Society. “The work we saw in Phase Two supported our hypothesis of an active thermal system, and the data we collected was positive, leading to a slightly larger Phase Three program.”

People have known about geothermal energy in the area for millennia, but the society’s project is taking in-depth geological, geochemical and geospatial readings to determine if there’s any way to tap this essentially limitless source of sustainable energy.

The summer saw students using drones and boots on the ground to measure various aspects of the fault line and water flows in the area between Riondel and Grey Creek, to the north and south of Kootenay Bay. That’s led to some potential leads, Gatto told the RDCK’s Community Sustainable Living Advisory Committee (CSLAC) February 14.

“There’s more here we need to do in terms of geochemical sampling – maybe a bit more work with thermal imaging,” Gatto told the committee. “All in all, very positive.”

Work will continue in the Crawford Creek area and west of the Orebin Creek fault to better define those possible targets.

“Success with Phase Three could lead to drilling one or two test wells in the next 12-24 months,” he said.

If they strike 40-80°C water in the next phase, a direct-heat geothermal demonstration project could be underway within two to three years.

The project is being sponsored by South Kootenay Lake Community Services, with $10,000 in annual support from CSLAC. That’s about one-eighth of the project’s budget. The rest comes from other levels of government, Geosciences BC and educational institutions like Selkirk College and UVic.

The RDCK is supporting the project because of its promise to increase economic opportunities, community resiliency and provide greenhouse-gas-free energy. As the project moves forward, staff say private funding would be more appropriate for developing commercial uses for the energy.

John Boivin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Valley Voice

Latest Stories

  • Creature of island mythology is real — and a new species, researchers in France say

    Scientists began to take the creature seriously after one was accidentally captured.

  • Mysterious thrashing in Florida swamp was alligator eating an alligator, woman learns

    “Amazing and scary.”

  • Tidal power developer slams DFO for years of delays, stops application for N.S. project

    The decades long saga to harness the highest tides in the world to create renewable energy seems to have hit another snag. But the problem is not the powerful currents, it's red tape. The CEO of Sustainable Marine Energy, a company based in Scotland with an office in Dartmouth, says his company is stepping back from its application for a site with the non-profit Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) near Parrsboro, N.S. "We have notified [the Department of Fisheries and Oceans] that we

  • Feds warn Ontario they could shut down development near Rouge Park

    VAUGHAN, Ont. — Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says a new study examining the effect of development on biodiversity and species-at-risk in a massive national park could shut down part of Ontario's plan to build housing in the area. Guilbeault says the study will be done as soon as possible on Rouge National Urban Park in the Greater Toronto Area. He says collaboration with Ontario has been impossible on environmental concerns over proposed housing developments. Premier Doug Ford

  • Millions of dead fish fill a river in Australia, videos show. What caused the die-off?

    Officials say multiple fish species were swept up in the die-off, contributing to the massive number of dead fish in the river.

  • Student innovation helps Fraser Valley farmers tackle weighty plastic problem

    Farmers in Agassiz, B.C. finally have a solution to their thousand-tonne problem. Agassiz farmer Gerald Struys says farms in the area accumulate about 1,200 to 1,400 tonnes of agricultural plastic every year — about the equivalent of 350 Asian elephants. "It's important to find a way to recycle [the plastic] because just dumping in a landfill isn't doing any good," said Struys, who is also the chair of the Kent Ag Plastics society. Agricultural plastic includes bale wrap and bunker covers used t

  • Nova Scotia amends cap-and-trade rules to deliver $165M in power utility and ratepayer savings

    The Houston government has amended provincial cap-and-trade regulations to exempt Nova Scotia Power and ratepayers from $165 million in pollution payments — the paperwork needed to deliver a promise it announced last year. On Monday, the province said amendments to the cap-and-trade program regulations issued in a March 16 cabinet order effectively wipe 2.6 megatonnes of carbon emissions from Nova Scotia Power's account. That represents emissions from fossil fuels the company was forced to buy a

  • See shy 3-month-old twin bears venture out of the den at San Diego Zoo for first time

    They’re the first twins born at the zoo in 30 years.

  • Whale With Deformed Spine Spotted Off Spanish Coast

    A fin whale with a deformed spine was seen off the coast of Cullera in eastern Spain, the country’s Guardia Civil said on March 6.Oceanografic Valencia, a local aquarium, said the Guardia Civil and aquarium staff were mobilized on March 4 after receiving a report that the whale was entangled in a drift net.Biologists and veterinarians determined that the 40-tonne male whale, measuring around 17 meters long, was not entangled but did have “a serious deviation” in its spine, Oceanografic Valencia said, according to a machine translation. The cause of the scoliosis was unknown, the aquarium said.After a few hours, the whale headed back out to sea, Oceanografic Valencia said. It said on March 6 that the whale could reappear near the coast due to its condition.Drone footage released by Guardia Civil shows the whale. Credit: Guardia Civil via Storyful

  • Skagway dock upgrades leave Yukon mining company searching for an alternative

    As the Yukon government commits millions to upgrade an Alaskan dock, the mining company that relies on it for international trade is rushing to find a temporary alternative. Yukon's Minto Metals Corp. has shipped materials out of Skagway's ore dock since 2008. It's the only mine currently using the dock. But the company says that upcoming construction will interrupt shipping there for at least two years. This month, Skagway accepted the terms of an agreement with the Yukon government on upgrades

  • That's the Spot: Bear Thoroughly Enjoys Scratching Its Back on a Tree

    A black bear was filmed scratching its back outside of a home in Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday, March 15.Video recorded by Debra Howell shows the bear sliding its back up and down a tree near a road.Howell told Storyful she was cooking dinner at home when she noticed a vehicle parked outside her house, with someone looking at the bear.“I went out to see what was going on and saw the bear scratching. The car scared him and he ran, however as soon as the car left he went back to the tree and started scratching again. I luckily had my camera and recorded the whole thing.” Credit: Debra Howell via Storyful

  • Drought in Spain's northeast empties reservoirs

    VILANOVA DE SAU, Spain (AP) — The medieval church of Sant Romà disappeared from view in the 1960s, when the town of Vilanova de Sau, an hour north of Barcelona, was flooded to create a reservoir. In the past three decades, its spectral belltower has broken the surface several times, serving as a punctual reminder of Spain’s fragile water resources. But today the church’s tower, its nave and the building’s foundations are all exposed. The bare, steep ridges of the Sau reservoir show how far its l

  • Imperial Oil tailings leak highlights another oilsands problem

    The recent revelation of a massive leak from Imperial Oil’s tailings ponds highlights the question of what to do with the rest of the oilsands waste accumulating along the Athabasca River. Massive ponds filled with more than 1.4 trillion litres of toxic waste are set to hit capacity in 2025. At that point, the sludge-like oilsands tailings will be treated and dumped into the river, in accordance with federal regulations still being developed. That is, unless Environment and Climate Change Canada

  • How to Comply With EU Textile Laws: Tags, Codes and More

    Until green claims get approved by regulators in the European Union, fashion is in limbo. Wednesday is the next anticipated release.

  • Guilbeault wants stronger links with Alberta on issues of oilsands tailings ponds

    Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has repeated his call for a stronger federal presence when it comes to environmental monitoring and communications in the oilsands, following a pair of wastewater releases from Imperial Oil's Kearl mine in Alberta. "The reason the federal government is proposing to change the way we do monitoring and communications on the tailings ponds is that in this instance (the current system) didn't work," he said Monday. Guilbeault added Ottawa is considering

  • Edmonton zoo says 47-year-old Asian elephant Lucy is too sick to be moved

    EDMONTON — The Edmonton Valley Zoo has released medical information that indicates an elephant named Lucy cannot be moved, despite demands from animal rights groups for years that she be transferred to a sanctuary. The zoo said it has been working closely with the animal advocacy group Free the Wild since October 2022. "While the majority of visiting experts agreed with previous expert assessments that she is not fit to travel, they were not unanimous," the zoo said in a news release Tuesday. "A

  • A baby giraffe was just born at this SC zoo. Here’s how you can see it now

    A male calf was stillborn in 2014, but the six others have contributed to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums breeding program.

  • Trees to be replanted by A14 after mass death

    Many thousands of trees planted as part of a £1.5bn road improvement project later died.

  • In China's Yunnan province, forests provide haven for biodiversity

    Located in south-western China, Yunnan province is the same size as Germany. It's home to almost 20,000 plant and 2,000 animal species, most of which are protected and unique to the region. Yunnan is a haven of biodiversity and a showcase for environmental protection in China, where scientists and nature lovers are fighting to preserve its rare ecosystems. Our correspondents Lou Kisiela, Antoine Morel, Yan Chen and Yena Lee report.Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:How video games can connect people with wildlife – and help protect itSuperpredator: Can humans and wolves coexist?Biodiversity hotspot Gabon offers safe haven to endangered species

  • Last wild Atlantic salmon can survive Maine dams, feds say

    The federal government ruled Monday that the last wild Atlantic salmon in the country can coexist with hydroelectric dams on a Maine river, dealing a blow to environmentalists who have long sought to remove the dams. One is the Kennebec River, dammed by Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday that the dams are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the salmon if conservation measures are taken.