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Analysis of water quality conditions and trends for the long-term river network : Athabasca River, 1960-2007

Description

Since the early 1950s, large rivers throughout the Province of Alberta have been subjected to regular monthly sampling for a broad suite of water quality parameters. Althought water quality... More ≫

Description

Since the early 1950s, large rivers throughout the Province of Alberta have been subjected to regular monthly sampling for a broad suite of water quality parameters. Althought water quality monitoring on the Athabasca River began as early as 1955 for some variables, regular sampling for most parameters was not implemented until at least 1960. Initially, sampling efforts were limited to a single station at the Town of Athabasca. In 1977, a second site was established at Old Fort, 200 km downstream of Ft. McMurray. Two additional sampling stations, situated upstream of both Hinton and Fort McMurray, were added in 1999 and 2002 respectively. The purpose of this report is to provide both a general overview of water quality conditions in the Athabasca River, in the form of summary statistics and time series graphs for all four sites, and more in-depth statistical trend analyses on long-term data for the Athabasca and Old Fort monitoring stations.

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Northern rivers ecosystem initiative : synthesis report

Description

This synthesis report builds on information generated during the Northern River Basins Study. It presents information from the Northern River Ecosystem Initiative to give a new benchmark on the... More ≫

Description

This synthesis report builds on information generated during the Northern River Basins Study. It presents information from the Northern River Ecosystem Initiative to give a new benchmark on the present health of the northern river basins. The report also provides an update on development in the basins, and describes initiatives, policies, partnerships, regulations, monitoring, research and other programs implemented to protect the environment. Results of more than 20 scientific projects undertaken during the five-year study are summarized, and a discussion and conclusions about what has been learned is presented.

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Northern rivers ecosystem initiative 1998-2003 : final report

Description

The Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative (NREI) was a five-year endeavor by the governments of Canada, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories to address commitments made by the three governments... More ≫

Description

The Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative (NREI) was a five-year endeavor by the governments of Canada, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories to address commitments made by the three governments in response to the preceding Northern River Basins Study (NRBS). The NRBS was itself a five-year initiative to obtain information regarding the existing conditions in, and the effects of development on, the aquatic ecosystem of the Peace-Athabasca-Slave river basins. The NREI involved scientists and resource managers from governments, universities, industry, and other organizations. Highlights of their actions are included in this report, with further detail available in various technical science reports.

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Northern rivers ecosystem initiative : key findings

Description

The governments of Canada, Alberta and the Northwest Territories established the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative to answer questions and address recommendations from the Northern River Basins... More ≫

Description

The governments of Canada, Alberta and the Northwest Territories established the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative to answer questions and address recommendations from the Northern River Basins Study, which took place between 1992 and 1996. The initiative was a science-based effort to gain more information to help understand the impacts of human activities on aquatic ecosystems in this region of Canada's north. This resource provides a general summary of the findings of the initiative. It also included are references to other studies and monitoring programs done during these years.

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Chlorinated anisoles and veratroles in a Canadian river receiving bleached kraft pulp mill effluent : identification, distribution, and olfactory evaluation

Description

One chlorinated anisole and three chlorinated veratroles have been identified an extracts of Athabasca River water collected in the winter downstream from a bleached kraft pulp mill effluent. The... More ≫

Description

One chlorinated anisole and three chlorinated veratroles have been identified an extracts of Athabasca River water collected in the winter downstream from a bleached kraft pulp mill effluent. The potential for causing off-flavours in the receiving waters was evaluated.

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An overview of long-term zoobenthic monitoring in Alberta rivers (1983-1987)

Description

The objectives of this report were to document the results of the first five years of zoobenthic monitoring (1983-1987), to assess their value and to evaluate the sampling design.

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Limnological aspects of the Peace and Athabasca Rivers

Description

This document contains copies of maps, graphs, and diagrams used for a lecture given to the Limnology undergraduate course in the Department of Zoology, University of Alberta, in November 1990.

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Adsorbable organic halide (AOX) sampling in the Athabasca and Wapiti-Smoky Rivers : fall & winter 1989-90

Description

Adsorbable Organic Halide (AOX) has become an accepted measure of chlorinated organic material, and is used to monitor and regulate bleached Kraft pulp mill effluents. Two surveys on the... More ≫

Description

Adsorbable Organic Halide (AOX) has become an accepted measure of chlorinated organic material, and is used to monitor and regulate bleached Kraft pulp mill effluents. Two surveys on the Wapiti-Smoky river system and on the Athabasca River were carried out in 1989-90 to assess the presence and downstream persistence of AOX.

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Sediment oxygen demand during the winter in the Athabasca River and the Wapiti-Smoky River system, 1990

Description

Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) is an important variable in the oxygen balance of rivers, in particular during the winter under low flow and extensive ice-cover. In 1989, a method to measure SOD... More ≫

Description

Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) is an important variable in the oxygen balance of rivers, in particular during the winter under low flow and extensive ice-cover. In 1989, a method to measure SOD in-situ was developed and used to measure winter SOD rates in the Athabasca River. The main objectives of the 1990 study were to determine if SOD rates increased over the winter and to determine the longitudinal trend of SOD in the Athabasca River and the Wapiti-Smoky River system.

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Aspects of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Athabasca River system

Description

The information in this document was compiled from monitoring data on the Athabasca River and presented to the Alberta-Pacific Environmental Impact Assessment Review Board.

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