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: Italy cleans up following deadly floods
CBC News
Italy’s Emilia Romagna region will recover from the devastating floods that hit this week by taking from lessons learned from the 2012 earthquake, its governor said Friday, as the death toll from the disaster rose to 14. Click here to continue reading
‘A really sad time in our community’: Fort McPherson, N.W.T., faces devastation, loss
CBC News
The water in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., is receding, but the community continues to face devastation as homes near Eight Miles were destroyed and the recent deaths of three people from the hamlet has families and friends grieving. Click here to continue reading
Council approves budget adjustment to upsize the water main
Sylvan News
The Town of Sylvan Lake adjusted its budget to upsize a water main in the Grey Hawk subdivision from a 250 mm line to a 400 mm line. The town felt upgrading the line was necessary since it is more cost-effective to upgrade the water main during construction of the subdivision rather than having to upgrade the water main at a later date, communications officer Jared Waldo said. Click here to continue reading
Half of world’s largest lakes losing water
Science Daily
Fifty-three percent of the world’s largest freshwater lakes are in decline, storing less water than they did three decades ago, according to a new study. The study analyzed satellite observations dating back decades to measure changes in water levels in nearly 2,000 of the world’s biggest lakes and reservoirs. It found that climate change, human consumption and sedimentation are responsible. Click here to continue reading
Earlier snowpack melt in Western US could bring summer water scarcity
Science Daily
Mountain snowpack, typically seen as the water tower of the Western United States and Canada, is in decline, according to a new study. Researchers created the Snow Storage Index to assess snow water storage from 1950-2013 and found that storage has significantly declined in more than 25% of the Mountain West, in part because more snow is melting during winter and spring. Click here to continue reading
Heavy rain expected across northern, western Alberta: Will it be enough to dampen wildfires?
Global News
Enough rain to prompt a warning is expected in the next few days across Alberta’s foothills and to the north of Edmonton. It’s perhaps not enough to put out wildfires completely, but may help firefighters catch their breath during a record-breaking season of fires. Click here to continue reading
Fort McPherson, N.W.T., ends state of emergency as water levels continue to drop
CBC News
The community of Fort McPherson, N.W.T., has lifted the local state of emergency as floodwaters recede and the hamlet begins repairs to damaged roads. The hamlet of about 650 declared an emergency last Tuesday after flooding from the Peel River washed over both roads out of the community, blocking access to the airport as well as the hamlet’s source of clean drinking water. Click here to continue reading
How a drought affects trees depends on what’s been holding them back
Science Daily
Droughts can be good for trees. Certain trees, that is. Contrary to expectation, sometimes a record-breaking drought can increase tree growth. Why and where this happens is the subject of a new article. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: Historic Colorado River deal not enough to stave off long-term crisis, experts say
The Guardian
A hard-fought agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada to slash the states’ use of the shrinking Colorado River is only a temporary salve to a long-term water crisis that continues to threaten the foundations of life in the American west, experts have warned. Click here to continue reading
‘Last dance vibe’: After 100 years, the International Ice Patrol is winding down N.L. iceberg flights
CBC News
The U.S. navy started the program in 1914 — soon after an iceberg collision sank the Titanic — to track icebergs off Newfoundland’s coast and deliver up-to-date information to ships trying to safely navigate the north Atlantic. Click here to continue reading