Water News
Alberta Water News is a free, subscription-based service that provides the latest information on water news across Alberta and upcoming events.
The news is distributed weekly on Mondays via a collated email and Monday to Friday via WaterPortal social media (X was Twitter). Please note that news will not be distributed on Holiday Mondays and will be released the following Tuesday.
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Mix of rain, hot weather present challenge for farmers in central Alberta
CTV News
Spring and summer have brought plenty of heat and rain, but it’s not all good news for farmers. Scott Jespersen says it’s created a unique situation. Click here to continue reading
Sask. RM declares ag disaster despite irrigation
The Western Producer
The council of the Rural Municipality of Rudy declared a drought disaster late last month even though it’s in the heart of Saskatchewan’s main irrigation area. The RM said drought and grasshopper infestations created the agricultural disaster. Less than 25 millimetres of rain have fallen in much of the region around Outlook. Click here to continue reading
Irrigators test direct seeding to prevent erosion
The Western Producer
Irrigation in southern Alberta has proven transformational to the ability to grow crops in the region, but although it has delivered water to the dusty plains, it hasn’t tamed the wind. Direct seeding is a piece in the puzzle to stem wind erosion in the area known for gales that can make it hard to keep a vehicle on the road, let alone valuable topsoil on the ground. Click here to continue reading
Drought another threat to beef herd
The Western Producer
The situation comes at a time of record demand for beef along with positive market signals for the industry. But to take advantage of the situation, changes are needed to business risk strategies. Alberta triggered the AgriRecovery program assessment process earlier this summer. Producers are now waiting for the results from the federal government. If successful, that program could provide stability to cattle inventories, depending on the shape the initiative takes. Click here to continue reading
VIDEO: River levels run low in Alta.
The Western Producer
Watershed council directors who manage two of the largest waterway systems in southern Alberta say the Bow and Oldman rivers will struggle to provide water to irrigators if present conditions persist. They said the rivers can currently deal with the lowest water levels seen in two decades, but there are limits. Water shortage advisories have gone out for 11 tributaries for that feed into the Bow and Oldman. Click here to continue reading
The desperate race to create a protection zone around the rapidly melting Arctic
The Guardian
The ice once protected the Arctic ocean from threats – but as it melts it exposes the sea to fishing, shipping, mining and pollution. Would a marine protected area help secure this fragile ecosystem or is it too late? Click here to continue reading
Microplastics found embedded in tissues of whales and dolphins
Science Daily
Microscopic plastic particles have been found in the fats and lungs of two-thirds of the marine mammals in a graduate student’s study of ocean microplastics. The presence of polymer particles and fibers in these animals suggests that microplastics can travel out of the digestive tract and lodge in the tissues. Click here to continue reading
Hamilton tenants went 12 weeks without running water. Internal city emails reveal what went wrong
CBC News
Tenants at a downtown apartment building had been without running water for two days after pipes froze and burst. The landlord had yet to make any repairs. Within minutes of the CHCH news segment airing, the mayor sent an email to top staff, including city manager Janette Smith who oversees all divisions. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Norway prepares for more evacuations as river levels keep rising
CBC News
Authorities were on standby to evacuate more people in southeastern Norway on Friday, where huge amounts of water, littered with broken trees, debris and trash, thundered down the usually serene rivers after days of torrential rain. The level of water in swollen rivers and lakes continued to grow despite two days of dry but overcast weather, with houses abandoned in flooded areas, cars coated in mud and camping sites swamped. Click here to continue reading
Watch where you step: Tourists voice concerns after slipping into holes on icefield glacier
CBC News
When Richard Strandquist and his family stepped off a glacier sight-seeing tour on the Columbia Icefield last month, the safe zone wasn’t yet marked. Strandquist said staff told guests to stay in the plowed area until a perimeter was established. As Strandquist walked on what he thought was solid ice, his left leg suddenly plunged into a water-filled ice hole. Click here to continue reading