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Environmental Assessment - St. Mary River Irrigation District Chin Reservoir Expansion Project

Description

Environmental assessment registry documents pertaining to the proposed St. Mary River Irrigation District Chin Reservoir Expansion project. Chin Reservoir is an off-stream storage reservoir that... More ≫

Description

Environmental assessment registry documents pertaining to the proposed St. Mary River Irrigation District Chin Reservoir Expansion project. Chin Reservoir is an off-stream storage reservoir that is located roughly in the middle of St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) irrigation network, approximately 30 kilometers (km) east of Lethbridge and 15 km south of Taber. The Chin Reservoir Expansion Project (the Project) involves the construction of a new dam which would result in a larger reservoir. The new dam would be approximately 40 meters (m) in height and is expected to inundate (flood) approximately 650 hectares (ha) of privately held land within Chin Coulee. For more information on the environmental assessment process visit ea.alberta.ca.

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The 2021 excavations at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, UNESCO World Heritage Site : taking Jack Brink’s excavations to a new level

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Throughout the 1980s, Jack Brink conducted excavations on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and developed an extensive understanding of how bison that... More ≫

Description

Throughout the 1980s, Jack Brink conducted excavations on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and developed an extensive understanding of how bison that were hunted at the jump were transformed into food and supplies. A joint team from the University of Lethbridge and the Royal Alberta Museum returned to the site in 2021 with the express goal of digging beneath where Jack had stopped and unearthing the earliest stages of use. While the materials we discovered were minimal, the results were stunning, revealing that activities have been occurring at the site for more than 8500 years. The results of the 2021 excavations are presented as a tribute to Jack’s contributions to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.

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Lethbridge air quality focused study

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A focused air monitoring study was conducted from November 2016 to October 2017 to assess the air quality in the Lethbridge area. The objective of this study was to investigate the spatial... More ≫

Description

A focused air monitoring study was conducted from November 2016 to October 2017 to assess the air quality in the Lethbridge area. The objective of this study was to investigate the spatial variability of air quality in the city, local and regional sources of air pollutants, and the adequacy of a single air monitoring station. Six monitoring locations were selected with monitoring conducted once each season at each of these locations. The survey was conducted using Alberta Environment and Parks’ Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory and volatile organic compound canisters.

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WMU 108 deer and elk survey : February 2018

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Presents the results of an aerial survey of deer and elk in Wildlife Management Unit 108 in February 2018. Aerial surveys are the primary method used to assess the population size, distribution,... More ≫

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Presents the results of an aerial survey of deer and elk in Wildlife Management Unit 108 in February 2018. Aerial surveys are the primary method used to assess the population size, distribution, population trends and herd composition of ungulates in Alberta. This information supports the effective management and conservation of ungulates, and is used to set hunting licence allocations, identify areas with agricultural depredation problems, and determine priority areas for recovery actions.

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Potential of rangelands to sequester carbon in Alberta

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Large amounts of organic carbon are present in Alberta rangelands. One hectare of rangeland contains 50-200 tonnes of carbon in soil organic matter, 2-10 tonnes carbon in plant biomass and 1-2... More ≫

Description

Large amounts of organic carbon are present in Alberta rangelands. One hectare of rangeland contains 50-200 tonnes of carbon in soil organic matter, 2-10 tonnes carbon in plant biomass and 1-2 tonnes carbon in litter. Total organic carbon levels in rangeland soils are considerably greater than the amount of carbon present in the atmosphere above these soils or exchanged with the atmosphere each year. Total organic carbon in the 7 million hectares of native pasture in Alberta is equivalent to about three times the current annual emissions of all greenhouse gases in Canada.

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Analysis of water quality conditions and trends for the long-term river network : Oldman River, 1966-2005

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The purpose of this report was to provide both a general summary of water quality conditions in the Oldman River and to subject the extensive long-term dataset to a thorough series of trend... More ≫

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The purpose of this report was to provide both a general summary of water quality conditions in the Oldman River and to subject the extensive long-term dataset to a thorough series of trend assessments. Although monitoring on the Oldman River has frequently addressed a host of trace organic contaminants, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and numerous other compounds, most of these data are insufficient for statistical evaluation of trends. Hence, analysed data are largely restricted to conventional water quality variables, including such things as ions, nutrients, bacteria, and metals. Results of trend assessment on these data suggest that a number of variables have undergone significant changes over the years. Despite ongoing expansion of livestock operations, irrigation activities, and human population in the Oldman River basin, all but one significant trend detected at the two sites after 1987 are decreasing and largely indicative of improving water...

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Rattlers and people : conserving rattlesnakes in Lethbridge

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A Lethbridge Rattlesnake Conservation Plan was developed in 2000. It was initiated in response to ongoing losses of prairie rattlesnakes in Lethbridge. This report summarizes the results of the... More ≫

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A Lethbridge Rattlesnake Conservation Plan was developed in 2000. It was initiated in response to ongoing losses of prairie rattlesnakes in Lethbridge. This report summarizes the results of the first five years of the Lethbridge Rattlesnake Conservation Program and provides recommendations for future conservation of rattlesnakes in Lethbridge.

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Lethbridge rattlesnake conservation project : 2003 progress report

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Lethbridge is at the western edge of prairie rattlesnake range in Canada. Continued expansion of the city has resulted in a substantial loss of suitable rattlesnake habitat and special efforts are... More ≫

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Lethbridge is at the western edge of prairie rattlesnake range in Canada. Continued expansion of the city has resulted in a substantial loss of suitable rattlesnake habitat and special efforts are necessary to maintain a sustainable population of rattlesnakes in Lethbridge. Recovery efforts focused on establishing a population of rattlesnakes in a newly-constructed artificial hibernaculum in Cottonwood Park. This report summarizes conservation efforts initiated in 2001 and continued through 2003.

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Lethbridge prairie rattlesnake conservation project : 2002/2003 progress report

Description

Lethbridge is at the western edge of prairie rattlesnake range in Canada. Continued expansion of the city has resulted in a substantial loss of suitable rattlesnake habitat and special efforts are... More ≫

Description

Lethbridge is at the western edge of prairie rattlesnake range in Canada. Continued expansion of the city has resulted in a substantial loss of suitable rattlesnake habitat and special efforts are necessary to maintain a sustainable population of rattlesnakes in Lethbridge. Recovery efforts focused on establishing a population of rattlesnakes in a newly-constructed artificial hibernaculum in Cottonwood Park. This report provides a summary of progress and results based on recommendations from 2001, and outlines current and future management and recovery strategies aimed at maintaining the Lethbridge prairie rattlesnake population.

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Management and recovery strategies for the Lethbridge population of the prairie rattlesnake

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The coulees of southwest Lethbridge are home to a small population of prairie rattlesnakes. High rates of mortality from road kills, deliberate human persecution, and a rapid loss of habitat from... More ≫

Description

The coulees of southwest Lethbridge are home to a small population of prairie rattlesnakes. High rates of mortality from road kills, deliberate human persecution, and a rapid loss of habitat from subdivision and recreational development make the future of Lethbridge rattlesnakes uncertain. In 2000, a committee was formed to develop a management plan. This report integrates previous work done, includes pertinent actions from the draft management plan developed in 2000 and summarizes and discusses present and future recovery efforts.

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