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 Weekly Newsletter, or follow the WaterPortal on your preferred social media platform.
Alberta irrigation springs a leak
The Western Producers
For the second consecutive year, farmers and ranchers in a southern Alberta irrigation district face uncertainty regarding their ability to access water for crops and livestock. The canals of the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District would usually run full bore during a spring that has seen persistent dry conditions permeate the southern half of the province. But it’s only been able to provide a trickle of what’s needed this year, following a major leak in its canal system. Click here to continue reading
Warning to stay away from North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton’s creeks as water levels rise
Global News
Albertans are advised to be careful around the North Saskatchewan River and its tributaries in the coming days. The City of Edmonton said due to the continuous rain, the river and its shorelines, along with the city’s creeks, may make nearby trails unsafe. Click here to continue reading
This salty gel could harvest water from desert air
Science Daily
MIT engineers have synthesized a superabsorbent material that can soak up a record amount of moisture from the air, even in desert-like conditions. As the material absorbs water vapor, it can swell to make room for more moisture. Even in very dry conditions, with 30 percent relative humidity, the material can pull vapor from the air and hold in the moisture without leaking. The water could then be heated and condensed, then collected as ultrapure water. Click here to continue reading
Salmon are dying in dried-up river beds in northern Yukon
CBC News
Yukon River chinook and chum salmon in the Old Crow region of the territory are being hit with the perfect storm — not only are this year’s runs expected to be dismal, but the life cycle of the salmon is being broken. Over the last several years, lower numbers of chinook and chum salmon have made the long journey from the ocean to creeks and streams at the mouth of the Porcupine River, spawned, and then died. The small fry would then make their way back to the Bering Sea in spring. Click here to continue reading
Recent rain may not be enough to halt the shrinking of Canada’s cattle herd
Ponoka News
Anxious Alberta ranchers praying for rain got their wish this week, but it may not be enough to stop the ongoing decline in Canadian cattle production. The moisture that fell on parts of drought-parched Alberta came as a welcome reprieve to the hundreds of cattle farmers who have seen their pastures wither and their water supplies dry up this June. Click here to continue reading
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