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.
Subscribe here for the free service, or follow the WaterPortal on your preferred social media platform.
Feds warn 2023 on track to be the worst fire season ever seen in Canada
CTV News
Canada’s emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity. Click here to continue reading
‘We need wetlands’: Saskatchewan environmental groups concerned over drainage plan
Sask Today
Clint Blyth continues to see his stream banks erode each year. The southeastern Saskatchewan rancher says the degradation is caused by those upstream who illegally drain water, as every year huge gushes take chunks out of the banks. This year, it has forced him to move his fence line by about one metre. Click here to continue reading
What is Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka dam?
CBC News
A huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday, unleashing floodwaters across the war zone. Ukraine said Russia had destroyed it, while Russia said Ukraine sabotaged it to cut off water supplies to Crimea and distract attention from a “faltering” counter-offensive. What is the dam, what happened — and what do we not know? Click here to continue reading
Too late now to save Arctic summer ice, climate scientists find
The Guardian
It is now too late to save summer Arctic sea ice, research has shown, and scientists say preparations need to be made for the increased extreme weather across the northern hemisphere that is likely to occur as a result. Analysis shows that even if greenhouse gas emissions are sharply reduced, the Arctic will be ice-free in September in coming decades. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Top US chemical firms to pay $1.2bn to settle water contamination lawsuits
The Guardian
DuPont and two related companies said they would pay close to $1.2bn to settle liability claims brought by public water systems serving the vast majority of the US population on Friday, just days before the start of a bellwether trial in South Carolina over PFAS contamination. Click here to continue reading
River to safety: Evacuees forced from Fort Chipewyan, Alta., find relief in Fort McKay
CBC News
As an out-of-control wildfire inched closer to the northeastern Alberta community of Fort Chipewyan, Dennis Shott spent the night leading evacuees to safety by water. Shott led the first convoy of boats south along the Athabasca River, helping others navigate the turbulent river to the docks of Fort McKay, as smoke drifted through the dark. Click here to continue reading
Seeding almost complete in central Alberta
Red Deer Advocate
In total, 96 per cent of major crops have been seeded, up 13 per cent from a week earlier. That is slightly behind the five-year average of 98.6 per cent and the 10-year average of 97.4 per cent. However, moisture remains a concern, says the report from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation and Agricultural Financial Services Corporation. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Iraq’s oil boom blamed for worsening water crisis in drought-hit south
The Guardian
Water scarcity has already displaced thousands and increased instability, according to international experts, while Iraq is now considered the fifth most vulnerable country to the climate crisis by the UN. In the oil-rich but extremely dry south, wetlands that used to feed entire communities are now muddy canals. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Clumps of 5,000-mile seaweed blob bring flesh-eating bacteria to Florida
The Guardian
The alarming discovery by marine biologists at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) lends a dangerous new aspect to the brown seaweed onslaught, which is already threatening to spoil the state’s busy summer tourism season as coatings of decaying goop exude a pungent aroma akin to that of rotting eggs. Click here to continue reading
Officials declare Halifax-area wildfire largely contained as rain brings relief
Sylvan Lake News
A Halifax-area wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes over the past week is 85 per cent contained and no longer spreading, officials said Saturday morning. Click here to continue reading