All Resources

Technology based standards for pulp and paper mill wastewater releases

Description

This document establishes a set of benchmarks for Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BATEA) for the pulp and paper sector in Alberta for wastewater releases. The release standards... More ≫

Description

This document establishes a set of benchmarks for Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BATEA) for the pulp and paper sector in Alberta for wastewater releases. The release standards apply to new and existing pulp and paper mills (all types) in Alberta.

Tags

Lake Wabamun : a review of scientific studies and environmental impacts

Description

The review uses a combination of historical records, paleoecological investigations and contemporary scientific studies to deduce the current condition of Wabamun Lake and how it has changed in... More ≫

Description

The review uses a combination of historical records, paleoecological investigations and contemporary scientific studies to deduce the current condition of Wabamun Lake and how it has changed in the 20th Century. It makes recommendations for managing future human activity in the lake and its watershed, in order to protect the ecological integrity of the lake.

Tags

Fish diet analysis McLeod and Smoky River Drainages

Description

The primary objective of the study was to provide a summary of the diet data and any major patterns in the diet of fish from waterbodies within the study area. The analysis included the three diet... More ≫

Description

The primary objective of the study was to provide a summary of the diet data and any major patterns in the diet of fish from waterbodies within the study area. The analysis included the three diet content methods used (frequency of occurrence, percent composition by count, and percent composition by weight; see Section2.1 for details) and presentation of temporal (years and where appropriate months) and spatial patterns for the fish species among the river systems.

Tags

A summary of pesticide residue data from the Alberta treated water survey, 1995-2003

Description

Pesticide residues in aquatic environments in Alberta were relatively poorly documented until recently. Although pesticides had been analyzed for environmental samples since the early 1970s, and... More ≫

Description

Pesticide residues in aquatic environments in Alberta were relatively poorly documented until recently. Although pesticides had been analyzed for environmental samples since the early 1970s, and in treated water supplies since 1978, detection limits were high and few pesticides were detected. Recently, new analytical instrumentation has enabled a 1-2 order of magnitude reduction in detection levels, resulting in information on pesticides in treated water supplies that was not available before.

Tags

Impacts on water quality in the Upper Elbow River

Description

This report presents the results of intensive water quality sampling from 1999 to 2002, inclusive, and bacterial source tracking work in 2003, and compares these findings to previous studies.... More ≫

Description

This report presents the results of intensive water quality sampling from 1999 to 2002, inclusive, and bacterial source tracking work in 2003, and compares these findings to previous studies. Included is a statistical analysis of spatial and temporal trends in concentration of key water quality indicators, and, where feasible, a mass flux analysis from Bragg Creek to Weaselhead. The analysis of spatial trends in suspended solids was supplemented by an aerial survey in November 2002, to identify erosion sites and other factors that could contribute to suspended solid concentrations in the Elbow River.

Tags

Investigations of poly-chlorinated biphenyls in bottom sediments of the Bear-Wapiti-Smoky-Peace and Upper Athabasca river systems, 1989-2000

Description

Studies of contaminant distributions by the Northern River Basins Study (NRBS) revealed high levels of PCBs in fish in the upper Athabasca and in the Wapiti-Smoky rivers, relative to other areas... More ≫

Description

Studies of contaminant distributions by the Northern River Basins Study (NRBS) revealed high levels of PCBs in fish in the upper Athabasca and in the Wapiti-Smoky rivers, relative to other areas in the basins. In response to recommendations of the NRBS, the purpose of this work was to investigate the source and reasons for the PCB contamination. In co-ordination with other projects under the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative (NREI) on fish, water, and benthos, this project investigated PCBs in river bottom sediments to see if there were spatial or temporal patterns that might identify the source(s) of contamination.

Tags

Toxicity assessment of Wabamun Lake sediments

Description

In 2002 Alberta Environment initiated several studies on Wabamun Lake in response to public concerns about murky water near the TransAlta Utilities Corporation ash lagoon outfall and to follow-up... More ≫

Description

In 2002 Alberta Environment initiated several studies on Wabamun Lake in response to public concerns about murky water near the TransAlta Utilities Corporation ash lagoon outfall and to follow-up on incidences of fish mortality. Elevated metal levels were found in the water and sediments near the ash lagoon outfall, but the cause of fish mortality was unrelated to these metal levels. The objective of this study was to determine if the sediments contained substances toxic to aquatic life forms.

Tags

Spatial variability of water quality in Wabamun Lake (July 2002) data report

Description

The objective of the sampling program initiated by AENV in July 2002 was to scope out the degree of spatial variability in Wabamun Lake water quality. Eight other lakes were also sampled to allow... More ≫

Description

The objective of the sampling program initiated by AENV in July 2002 was to scope out the degree of spatial variability in Wabamun Lake water quality. Eight other lakes were also sampled to allow comparisons of the intra- and inter-lake variability in water quality. This document provides a compilation of the data and highlights the major findings

Tags

Wabamun Lake water quality 1982 to 2001

Description

This report outlines how in the early 1980s, Alberta Environment established a formal water quality monitoring program at Wabamun Lake. The program was designed to determine long-term patterns in... More ≫

Description

This report outlines how in the early 1980s, Alberta Environment established a formal water quality monitoring program at Wabamun Lake. The program was designed to determine long-term patterns in the overall water quality of the lake. It was not designed to evaluate the effects of specific activities (e.g., point and non-point source inputs) in the watershed.

Tags

Benthic invertebrate assessment in Wabamun Lake, November 2002

Description

Two TransAlta Utilities Corporation power generating plants are located on the shores of Wabamun Lake. The plants use a local supply of coal which is strip mined within the watershed. The Wabamun... More ≫

Description

Two TransAlta Utilities Corporation power generating plants are located on the shores of Wabamun Lake. The plants use a local supply of coal which is strip mined within the watershed. The Wabamun Power Plant is located on the north shore near the village of Wabamun and the Sundance Power Plant on the opposite south shore. There are three major point source discharges to Wabamun Lake through canals including a thermal discharge and mine drainage discharge from the Wabamun Plant on the north shore and a water discharge from the Wabamun Lake Water Treatment Plant on the south shore. Of the three major point source discharges to Wabamun Lake, the influence of the thermal effluent on aquatic vegetation and invertebrate fauna has been documented, however, the effects from the two other sources on local invertebrate fauna have not been documented.

Tags