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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Zelenskyy calls for international aid as waters rise, Ukrainians flee homes after dam break
CBC News
Ukrainians abandoned their inundated homes as floodwaters crested across a swath of the south on Wednesday after the destruction of a vast dam on the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces that each blamed on the other. Click here to continue reading
Cenovus fined after wastewater release from former Husky-owned pipeline
CTV News
Cenovus Energy is facing a fine over a release of wastewater into a wetland. In 2020, a pipeline then belonging to Husky Oil released about 206 cubic metres of produced water through a break in the line and into the surrounding wetland. Cenovus, which merged with Husky in 2021, has been assessed a $140,000 fine by the Alberta Energy Regulator after pleading guilty in provincial court. Click here to continue reading
‘We are terrified’: Calgary woman who fled Russian occupation helps victims of dam collapse in Ukraine
Calgary Herald
The collapse of a dam in southern Ukraine has unleashed a tsunami of water, triggering fears of an ecological catastrophe. Click here to continue reading
Lessons from ‘The Blob’ will help us manage fisheries during future marine heatwaves
Science Daily
In early 2014, a great anomaly descended upon the seas: A patch of warm water that manifested in the Gulf of Alaska. Scientists called it “The Blob.” The Blob was the largest marine heatwave on global record, and impacted the entire food web between Mexico and Alaska, from plankton to whales. A strong El Niño prolonged this marine heatwave through 2016. Click here to continue reading
Rain in Shelburne County allowing crews to attack fire more directly
CBC News
Crews finished the weekend “with smiles on their face at the end of the day” thanks to a heavy dousing of rain, says a Department of Natural Resources official. The fire, which has been burning since May 27, is still out of control and covers an area of 24,980 hectares, or about 250 square kilometres. Click here to continue reading
Agricultural trade to resume to Saudi Arabia
The Western Producer
A potential market for Canadian wheat and barley has been repaired with the stroke of a pen. Canada has restored diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and the two countries will soon appoint new ambassadors, according to Reuters. That ends a political spat that started in 2018 and disrupted trade. Click here to continue reading
River diversions may cause microplastics to remain longer on land and in streams before reaching oceans
Science Daily
Diverting streams and rivers to irrigate crops or provide drinking water may significantly extend the time microplastics spend in river catchments before they flow into our oceans, a new study reveals. Click here to continue reading
Canada and British Columbia invest in upgrades to wastewater treatment infrastructure in B.C. communities
Water Canada
In New Westminster, this investment will support the separation of combined sewers and related infrastructure upgrades to increase the City’s capacity to manage wastewater and treat or manage storm water. Project works will include the installation of 24 rain gardens, 8.4 kilometres of storm sewers, three permanent flow monitoring stations, as well as any necessary associated works and rehabilitation of roads impacted by the project. The combined sewer separation works will help improve the quality of storm water that enters the Fraser River. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Bureau of Meteorology puts Australia on ‘El Niño alert’
The Guardian
The Bureau of Meteorology has placed Australia on “El Niño alert”, warning there is now a 70% chance of the climate system developing before the end of this year. El Niño tends to reduce rainfall and push up daytime temperatures in winter and spring, increasing the risk of bushfires, heatwaves and coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Click here to continue reading
Ukraine dam breached, unleashing floods as residents ordered to evacuate
CBC News
The fallout could have broad consequences: Flooding homes, streets and businesses downstream; depleting water levels upstream that help cool Europe’s largest nuclear power plant; and draining supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed. Click here to continue reading