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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Compare and Contrast: Thousands of tonnes of rock break off summit of Austrian mountain
The Guardian
Thousands of tonnes of rock have broken off the summit of a mountain popular with climbers and tumbled into a valley in Austria, in an incident blamed by geologists on melting snow and thawing permafrost. Click here to continue reading
Is Canada ready for a fiery future? We tallied up all of its water bomber planes to find out
CBC News
The worst Canadian wildfire season of the century has tested the country’s airborne firefighting capacity, revealing that one of the most forested countries in the world may be ill-equipped to control fires raging simultaneously from coast to coast. The country is likely to see more fire seasons like 2023. Climate changes means more unpredictable weather. Some summers could be unusually wet, while others are likely to be like this one — unusually dry and windy — the perfect wildfire recipe. Click here to continue reading
Marine environment at risk due to ship emissions
Science Daily
Researchers used four different types of port environments to investigate the levels of contaminants emitted from five different sources. They found that the combined emissions of metals and environmentally hazardous substances is putting the marine environment at risk. Ninety per cent of the harmful emissions came from ships fitted with scrubbers, whose purpose is to clean their exhaust gases. Click here to continue reading
3 debris fields left after downpour, rockslides at Waterton Lakes National Park
Global News
Parks Canada staff have been able to survey the damage at Waterton Lakes National Park after more than 50 millimetres of rain fell in a two-hour period Sunday night. There are at least three debris fields covering Akamina Parkway along Crandell Mountain, the federal agency said Tuesday. Click here to continue reading
Part of Waterton Lakes National Park reopens following flooding concerns
CTV News
A large portion of Waterton Lakes National Park has reopened, though closures remain in place for several trails due to the risk of rockslides. Parks Canada had issued a bulletin on Monday announcing the closure of hiking trails and backcountry areas in Waterton due to flooding, with the exception of Townsite Kootenai Brown Trail and Townsite Lakeshore Trail. At the time, Parks Canada also warned that the Red Rock and Akamina parkways were closed, as well as backcountry campgrounds. Click here to continue reading
LNID’s farmers nearly out of water and hope for their crops this season
Global News
Before the 2023 water season, the Main Headworks Canal, located in the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID), was shut off so Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation could repair a liner that had been leaking for a few years. The district said when it was turned on in late-April, construction-related leaks were discovered extending the shutdown indefinitely, leaving farmers with just a fraction of their normal irrigation. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: River in ‘wettest place in England’ in Lake District almost completely dry
The Guardian
The upper River Derwent in Borrowdale in the Lake District – famous for its reputation as the wettest place in England – is almost completely dry, leading experts to warn of “disastrous conditions for wildlife”. Click here to continue reading
Klir unveils ChatGPT integration powered by Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI Service for its Unified Water Management Platform
Water Canada
Klir, the integrated water platform that helps the world’s water utilities make water safer, today announced the launch of its new generative AI capabilities now available though the latest iteration of its platform, Klir Comply. Using Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI service to provide access to powerful language models – including ChatGPT4 – Klir is the first-ever water management software powered by ChatGPT. Click here to continue reading
Rainy forecast not enough to reverse course on Alberta’s wildfire season, cautions meteorologist
CBC News
As rain falls in communities across Alberta Wednesday, federal meteorologists caution the incoming storms will not be enough to reverse course on a devastating wildfire season. Sara Hoffman, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the heavy rains forecasted in the days ahead will not dampen the wildfire risk for long. Meanwhile the incoming storms also bring the risk of high winds that could fan the flames of existing fires and lighting strikes that could ignite new ones. Click here to continue reading
Water restrictions in place in Wetaskiwin County
The Wetaskiwin Times
In addition to reinstating a fire ban, Wetaskiwin County has put in water restrictions in the communities of Cavallo Ridge, Sunset Harbour and Village Lane Condos until further notice. Click here to continue reading