This Friday afternoon adventure, which begins in Cochrane, is a road trip where we will see various forms of magnificent glacial geology in the Cochrane & Lochend areas and also see a rapidly developing program of hydraulic fracking for oil in the Lochend area. We will drive through and stop at locations in the deeply incised glacial melt water channel which runs from Cochrane to Big Hill Springs Provincial Park and onwards into the southeast Lochend area. A similar melt water channel also occurs just south of the small village of Dog Pound. We will also see areas covered by glacial moraines characterized by knob & kettle topography and glacial drumlins. Small creeks and ponds occur in these channels and provide habitat for abundant water fowl. We will stop and discuss the numerous oil well pads along the north side of Highway 567, and also along the east and west sides of Lochend Road, which produce oil from the tight Cardium sandstone oil play. Long distance horizontal wells combined with hydraulic fracking have led to the success of this oil program. Drilling and oil production is now occurring from near to the northern boundaries of Cochrane, eastwards to Highway 766 (also known as Lochend Road), northwards to Highway 574 and westwards to Highway 22 (also known as the Cowboy Trail). The total area covered by this activity amounts to approximately 200 square kilometers and in some cases has had significant environmental impact on ranches, farms and acreages in the area.

Coordinator

Photos and Report

See photos and report from this adventure!

Fundraising Goal

Goal: $2,000

Raised to date: $641.00

32% raised of $2,000:

Sponsor this adventure now and help make the tree grow!

All donations to AWA are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

Why Join This Adventure?

This field trip is an opportunity to see and learn about the impact of glaciation on this area. Also, it is an opportunity to learn more about the technology of hydraulic fracturing which has fundamentally altered the oil industry and also can have significant environmental impact.

Adventure Metrics

Half day field trip, no hiking. Car pooling can be arranged for those needing to car pool, however this will be subject to Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services COVID-19 regulations. The roads to be travelled are excellent, no all-wheel nor 4-wheel drive vehicles are necessary. We will drive at slow to moderate speeds and exercise proper safety procedures.

Required Equipment

Umbrellas or rain coats may be required. Also bring some liquids, e.g. water, soft drinks.

Covid-19 Precautions

We will observe COVID-19 precautions and guidance from the Government of Alberta and expect participants to follow appropriate sanitizing and social distancing. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation! If you need more details you can check the Government website at: this link.

Please bring a personal mask and your own hand sanitizer.

Thank you for joining us for this exceptional day out in one of Alberta’s truly wonderful Wild Spaces — we look forward to meeting you there!

Details

Meeting Location: The parking lot at Cochrane Historical Ranche, on the north side of Bow Valley Trail/Highway 2A in Cochrane.

Contact this Coordinator

Contact this coordinator:

by email at a4w@abwild.ca,
by phone at (403) 283-2025,
or by using the form below:

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