Two days ago I was driving around looking at the Souris River levels and the various bits of flooding going on in the Estevan area.
Just south of the city, along Hwy #47, there's a vast desert wasteland created by systematic strip-mining for coal
A typical prairie whirlwind was twisting its way across and picking up particles of clay.
This bit of wasteland is part of the first attempts at land reclamation after taking out all possible, profitable coal. The reclaiming company either had zero know-how (likely) or little inclination other than to collect some good money for a job poorly done (probably).
The only things that grow out there are the most tenacious weeds that can grow on pure clay. When the mining pits were filled in, the topsoil was pushed in first.
Just south of the city, along Hwy #47, there's a vast desert wasteland created by systematic strip-mining for coal
A typical prairie whirlwind was twisting its way across and picking up particles of clay.
This bit of wasteland is part of the first attempts at land reclamation after taking out all possible, profitable coal. The reclaiming company either had zero know-how (likely) or little inclination other than to collect some good money for a job poorly done (probably).
The only things that grow out there are the most tenacious weeds that can grow on pure clay. When the mining pits were filled in, the topsoil was pushed in first.
