All Resources

Wabasca Lake Monitoring Project results report

Description

The Wabasca Lake Monitoring Pilot Project is part of the Indigenous Lake Monitoring Program of Alberta’s provincial Lake Monitoring Program. The project was initiated in response to community... More ≫

Description

The Wabasca Lake Monitoring Pilot Project is part of the Indigenous Lake Monitoring Program of Alberta’s provincial Lake Monitoring Program. The project was initiated in response to community interest in water quality and concern for fish health, and was carried out in collaboration with the Lands Department of Bigstone Cree Nation and Alberta Environment and Parks. The goals of the project were to address gaps in water quality knowledge and information for North Wabasca Lake, and provide aquatic monitoring training in scientific sampling methodology to Bigstone Cree Nation.

Tags

A five-year provincial water quality monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan for lotic systems

Description

This document outlines the key scientific questions, approaches, and deliverables for a five-year provincial water quality monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan for lotic systems (rivers and... More ≫

Description

This document outlines the key scientific questions, approaches, and deliverables for a five-year provincial water quality monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan for lotic systems (rivers and streams) across Alberta. The goal of this plan is to provide a scientific foundation for understanding how various natural and anthropogenic stressors are potentially impacting water quality within Alberta’s rivers and streams.

Tags

Rationalizing and optimizing the water quality monitoring network in the oil sands

Description

This report describes the outcomes of a workshop held Nov. 28-30, 2016 in Edmonton to review, rationalize and optimize water quality monitoring conducted under the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring... More ≫

Description

This report describes the outcomes of a workshop held Nov. 28-30, 2016 in Edmonton to review, rationalize and optimize water quality monitoring conducted under the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring Program. The workshop participants included representatives from Alberta Environment and Parks and Environment and Climate Change Canada. The workshop outcomes include a number of recommended changes to monitoring network design.

Tags

Alberta Environment cyanotoxin program status report

Description

Alberta’s nutrient-rich lakes and reservoirs often experience blooms of cyanobacteria (a.k.a. blue-green algae) during summer and early fall. Common species of cyanobacteria can produce potent... More ≫

Description

Alberta’s nutrient-rich lakes and reservoirs often experience blooms of cyanobacteria (a.k.a. blue-green algae) during summer and early fall. Common species of cyanobacteria can produce potent liver and/or nerve toxins. Cyanotoxin monitoring was incorporated into Alberta’s Integrated Lake and Reservoir Monitoring Program in 2005 with the goal of determining the prevalence of MCYST in Alberta. In addition, we investigate the occurrence of multiple MCYST analogues, a potent neurotoxin anatoxin-a (ATX-a), and a potentially toxic amino acid, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) recently reported to be produced by cyanobacteria.

Tags

Pilot study to evaluate the practicality of aquatic ecosystem monitoring in small agricultural streams in Alberta

Description

The intent of this pilot study on Rose and Strawberry creeks and the Blindman River was to scope out the feasibility of adding sediment and non-fish biota to the AESA water quality monitoring and... More ≫

Description

The intent of this pilot study on Rose and Strawberry creeks and the Blindman River was to scope out the feasibility of adding sediment and non-fish biota to the AESA water quality monitoring and to make a preliminary evaluation of the data. Collection of field data, invertebrate samples (kick nets), epilithic algae and sediment quality sampling in the three streams was practical. Benthic invertebrate and epilithic algal communities were diverse and abundant and offer good potential for future monitoring, along with water and sediment chemistry. Defining reference conditions ecoregionally would be important in future aquatic ecosystem health monitoring and data interpretation.

Tags

Impacts of agriculture on surface water quality in Alberta

Description

Part 1 -The Haynes Creek Study was one of three studies funded under the Canada-Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture agreement (CAESA) to describe the effects of agriculture on surface... More ≫

Description

Part 1 -The Haynes Creek Study was one of three studies funded under the Canada-Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture agreement (CAESA) to describe the effects of agriculture on surface waters in Alberta. This study was conducted in the Haynes Creek watershed to determine if runoff from cattle wintering grounds and from cultivated fields had a direct, measurable influence on stream water quality. The Haynes Creek watershed (east of the city of Red Deer) was selected because it was considered representative of very intensive agricultural activity on a landscape sensitive to water erosion. Part 2 - The Provincial Stream Survey was one of three studies funded under the Canada-Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture agreement (CAESA) to describe the effects of agriculture on surface waters in Alberta. This study was conducted to determine if there are relationships between the agricultural intensity in the drainage basins and water quality of streams. Part 3 - Federal...

Tags

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.

Tags

A review of epilithic algal biomass, nutrient, and nonfilterable residue data for major Alberta river basins

Description

The objectives of this review were to describe the river course variation of benthic algal biomass, nutrient and nonfilterable residue variables and their interrelationships in Alberta rivers.... More ≫

Description

The objectives of this review were to describe the river course variation of benthic algal biomass, nutrient and nonfilterable residue variables and their interrelationships in Alberta rivers. Trends in these variables were compared between river basins, and the physiographic zones and ecoregions through which these rivers flowed were also documented.

Tags

Initial dilution zone and limited use zone concepts for receiving streams

Description

This report describes methods of analysis, benefits, limitations, and criteria associated with implementing an initial dilution zone (IDZ) for reducing possible impacts of effluents discharged to... More ≫

Description

This report describes methods of analysis, benefits, limitations, and criteria associated with implementing an initial dilution zone (IDZ) for reducing possible impacts of effluents discharged to Alberta streams and identifies effluent discharge methods capable of producing an IDZ. This report is an extension of the Technical Manual on Procedures and Methods for Evaluating Water Quality Changes in Receiving Streams.

Tags