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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Small lakes, big studies: what Ontario’s experimental lakes area teaches the world about water
The Narwhal
For over half a century, 58 small, self-contained lakes in Treaty 3 territory have allowed scientists to replicate — and clean up — the effects of oil spills, microplastics and other threats to fresh water. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: How an overlooked study over a century ago helped fuel the Colorado River crisis
Science Daily
At the start of World War I, a scientist named Eugene Clyde La Rue hiked the American West to estimate how much water flows down the Colorado River. His findings were ignored, but leaders today don’t have to make the same mistake. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Flooding drives millions to move as climate-driven migration patterns emerge
The Canadian Press
Flooding is driving millions of people to move out of their homes, limiting growth in some prospering communities and accelerating the decline of others, according to a new study that details how climate change and flooding are transforming where Americans live. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Why Is the Colorado River Running Dry?
Mother Jones
It’s not just drought. It’s putting sacred cows above farmers, cities, and a secure future. Click here to continue reading
Southern Alberta wishing for snow as water levels at historic lows
Calgary Herald
Southern Alberta is experiencing an exceptional drought, the driest it has been in the last 50 years, says the Oldman River Watershed Council. Click here to continue reading
Residents cleared to return home as Quebec dike declared safe after repair work
The Canadian Press
Authorities say work carried out by government engineers has stabilized a dike northwest of Montreal that was at risk of bursting. With the Morier dike in the Laurentians region deemed safe, hundreds of residents from the municipalities of Chute-Saint-Philippe and Lac-des-Écorces can return home after being forced out 11 days ago. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: How to provide reliable water in a warming world – these cities are testing small-scale treatment systems and wastewater recycling
The Conversation – United States
A lot can go wrong in a large urban water system. Cities have started experimenting with small-scale alternatives – including wastewater recycling and localized water treatment strategies known as decentralized or distributed systems. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: ‘Floods have washed away entire villages’: Kenya’s rains made twice as intense by climate change
EuroNews Green
Kenya’s military has stepped up efforts to evacuate hundreds of people trapped by raging floods. Hundreds of people have died and millions more have been affected since the rains began in October. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Depleted Groundwater Could Be Refilled by Borrowing a Trick from Solar Power
Scientific American
In many places around the world, groundwater is being pumped out faster than nature replenishes it. A new model points to a possible solution. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Dangerous ‘Fill and Build’ Floodplain Policy Should Be Scrapped, Experts Say
Scientific American
A FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) advisory council says a program that allows developers to elevate homes on fill dirt is environmentally harmful and can increase flood risks for nearby homes. Click here to continue reading