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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Industry knew about risks of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ for decades before push to restrict them, study says
CBC News
Governments in Canada and the U.S. are now cracking down on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of more than 9,000 human-made chemicals produced since the 1940s. They have unique properties that make them heat-resistant, oil- and water-repellent and friction-resistant, and are found in products from cosmetics and take-out boxes to non-stick cookware and fire suppressants. Click here to continue reading
Dam collapse a global problem as waters may poison Black Sea, Zelenskiy says
The Guardian
The Ukrainian president said the flood waters raging through the lower Dnipro River valley brought with them sewage, oil, chemicals and possibly anthrax from animal burial sites. Click here to continue reading
Experts worry about Canadian water bomber expertise with rising demand, aging fleets
The Calgary Herald
Aviation experts say Canada is losing expertise in the manufacturing of water bombers — just as demand for them is increasing. The Canadair CL-415, a purpose-built water bomber, was last produced in 2015. That plane and its predecessor — the CL-215 — are the only water bombers used in Quebec and play major roles in the fleets of other provinces. Click here to continue reading
Volunteers mark World Ocean Day with cleanups
CBC News
World Ocean Day is celebrated every year on June 8. It was first proposed by two Canadian organizations at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992 as a way to celebrate our shared oceans, and to raise awareness about the important role it plays and how people can help protect it. Take a look at how people are marking the ocean today. Click here to continue reading
Lacombe Lake water levels have become contentious
Red Deer Advocate
Two groups of Lacombe Lake users are at odds over how high the water level should be. In May, representatives of the Lacombe Lake Watershed Stewardship Society came before Lacombe County council with concerns that falling lake levels threaten water quality and will promote algae and weed growth and hurt fish habitats. On Thursday, a group of residents with property on the lake took an opposite stance. They argued the lake is at historically high levels and is destroying the shoreline and killing trees. The water should be lowered at least a foot, they told council. Click here to continue reading
‘Exercise extreme caution’: Lethbridge officials issue summer water safety reminder
Global News
The Oldman River in Lethbridge, Alta., often turns into a popular destination for sun seekers during the hotter months. But as community members take to the water in their swim trunks, on floats or other devices, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services is advising the importance of safety. Click here to continue reading
Medicine River water sampling project underway
Red Deer Advocate
Water sampling has begun to get to the bottom of Medicine River’s distinctive brown colour and to assess its health. Medicine River Watershed Society recently received a $4,250 watershed stewardship grant to help fund the project and presentations to show the public the results later in the year. Click here to continue reading
Experts express concerns over less rainfall, early snowmelt in Alberta
CBC News
As Alberta continues to fight wildfires and deal with extreme heat warnings, climate experts are wondering what the next few months will look like for the province in terms of adequate water supply. Click here to continue reading
From hoses and shovels to water bombers: how wildfires are being fought across Canada
CTV News
The techniques used to put out the wildfires that are burning across Canada vary somewhat depending on geography, but ultimately they depend on people on the ground with hoses and shovels digging out hot spots one by one, experts say. As of midday Thursday, there were 430 fires burning across Canada, including 235 that were out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Click here to continue reading
Vancouver Island road closed, campfire bans, as drought raises wildfire risks in B.C.
Sylvan Lake News
A small but aggressive wildfire on Vancouver Island is burning beside the only major highway linking Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet to the rest of British Columbia. The route is closed until further notice as the nearly one-square-kilometre blaze spreads in steep terrain south of Cameron Lake, not far from Cathedral Grove, home to some of Canada’s oldest and tallest trees. Click here to continue reading