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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Pace of blue-green algae blooms in Alberta lakes so far ‘a little bit concerning,’ researcher says
CBC News
Edmonton resident Jill Hunter was surprised to find visible blooms of blue-green algae along the shore when she arrived at Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park on Wednesday. “This seems really early,” Hunter said, after canoeing at the popular swimming and recreation area 60 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Rolf Vinebrooke, a professor of fresh water ecology at the University of Alberta, agrees. Click here to continue reading
Manitoba Government working with municipalities to streamline legacy drainage compliance
Water Canada
The Manitoba government is responding to feedback from municipalities to help take a co-ordinated approach on bringing unlicensed drainage works into compliance and achieve best value from the licensing system, Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein announced today. Click here to continue reading
Proactive monitoring ensures high quality drinking water, Coquitlam
Water Canada
Thirsty in Coquitlam? Skip the bottled water and filters and enjoy top quality drinking water right from the tap. According to an annual report on the City’s drinking water, Coquitlam’s diligent and proactive monitoring and maintenance of its water system is continuing to produce safe, clean and excellent quality drinking water. Click here to continue reading
Big Lake water quality advisory ended after 5 months
Global News
Alberta Health Services announced Wednesday that it has lifted the water quality advisory issued Jan. 19 for the water of Big Lake in the Edmonton area. The lake is connected to the Sturgeon River northwest of Edmonton and west of St. Albert, bordering Parkland and Sturgeon County. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Saved by seaweed: nuns and Native women heal polluted New York waters using kelp
The Guardian
The sisters are a part of a unique collaboration: situated on the edge of a bay, they have helped a group of women from the Shinnecock, a local Indigenous tribe, start a kelp farm in the hopes of cleaning up the pollution in their shared backyard. Click here to continue reading
Don’t wait, desalinate: A new approach to water purification
Science Daily
A water purification system separates out salt and other unnecessary particles with an electrified version of dialysis. Successfully applied to wastewater with planned expansion into rivers and seas, the method saves money and saps 90% less energy than its counterparts. Click here to continue reading
Fast transition could indicate a strong El Nino
The Western Producer
It could evolve into a strong and persistent El Niño weather pattern or it might be moderate and short lived — It’s too early to tell. However, some forecasters think it could become a powerful El Niño. In the simplest terms, El Niño is when “surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific… become warmer than average,” says the Environment Canada website. Click here to continue reading
Woodlands County assessing flood damage as all evacuation orders end
CTV News
All Woodland County evacuation orders caused by flooding are over as of Tuesday. Parts of the county northwest of Edmonton were evacuated last week after days of rain, and the damage from it is now being assessed. Click here to continue reading
Study of deep-sea corals reveals ocean currents have not fueled rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide
Science Daily
Pioneering analysis of deep-sea corals has overturned the idea that ocean currents contributed to increasing global levels of carbon dioxide in the air over the past 11,000 years. The study, led by the University of Bristol in the UK and Nanjing University in China, examined historic deep-sea corals to shed intriguing new light on the history of ocean chemistry. Click here to continue reading
Nose Creek Watershed Partnership wins Alberta Emerald Award for Environmental Leadership Governance
Water Canada
The Nose Creek Watershed Partnership, comprised of the City of Airdrie, City of Calgary, Rocky View County, Town of Crossfield, Calgary Airport Authority and the Bow River Basin Council, has been honoured with an Alberta Emerald Award in the Government category. This award showcases organizations that demonstrate exemplary commitment to addressing environmental and climate change issues and highlights the efforts undertaken by the Partnership to support healthy and resilient watersheds. Click here to continue reading