There, the coal is crushed to the consistency of a fine powder and burned as a fuel. The Cookson Reservoir is a result of the Morrison Dam on the East Poplar River. Water from the reservoir is required for cooling the steam cycle in the production of electricity. The cooling water passes through the turbine condenser and returns to the reservoir. Environmental Protection Ash disposal is an environmental concern.
Poplar River uses a closed-loop ash disposal system.
This means the water that transports the ash slurry from the boiler ash pits to the lagoon is continually recycled. Special care was taken to compact and seal the lagoon bottom to stop seepage into ground water systems. The overturned land from the coal mining area is also a consideration. Land reclamation is a combined effort between SaskPower and Prairie Coal Ltd., the local coal supplier. Reclamation involves leveling the spoil piles as well as the topsoil, which was saved.