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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Dam breach could be Ukraine’s ‘worst ecological disaster since Chornobyl’
The Guardian
Ukrainian scientists are waiting for the water to subside before fully assessing the environmental impact of the Kakhovka dam breach, but one former minister warned it could prove the country’s worst ecological disaster since the Chornobyl nuclear meltdown. Click here to continue reading
Wheat prices jump following collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine
Sylvan Lake News
Global prices for wheat and corn soared Tuesday after a major dam in Ukraine collapsed, renewing market fears about the fragility of the country’s ability to ship food to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia as it fights a war with Russia. Click here to continue reading
Calgary monitoring river levels amid below-average mountain snowpack levels
CTV News
Even along the continental divide, where winter snows historically lingered until July most years, there is very little, if any, snow left. It means rivers such as the Bow and the Elbow will get the majority of their volume from groundwater and any rain that falls. Click here to continue reading
Scuba divers in awe as deep-water shark ends up in shallow Vancouver Island waters
CBC News
A group of British Columbia scuba divers on Vancouver Island spotted a bluntnose sixgill shark on a recent dive in Alberni Inlet, capturing what they say is rare footage of the animal in shallow waters. Click here to continue reading
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