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Surface water quality of Lower Athabasca River tributaries

Description

This study investigates key issues identified in the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring program regarding water quality of tributaries to the lower Athabasca River, specifically: the... More ≫

Description

This study investigates key issues identified in the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring program regarding water quality of tributaries to the lower Athabasca River, specifically: the current state of water quality; the distribution of contaminants; whether the presence of toxic substances is increasing or decreasing, and their rate of change' and whether substances added to the rivers by natural and man-made discharges are likely to cause deterioration of water quality.

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Surface water quality of the Athabasca, Peace and Slave rivers and riverine waterbodies within the Peace-Athabasca delta

Description

This study investigates key issues identified in the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring program regarding water quality of the Lower Athabasca River mainstem and the downstream... More ≫

Description

This study investigates key issues identified in the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring program regarding water quality of the Lower Athabasca River mainstem and the downstream Peace-Athabasca delta, specifically: the current state of water quality; the distribution of contaminants in surface water; and whether substances added to the rivers by natural and man-made discharges are likely to cause deterioration of water quality.

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Moving from planning to implementation : Bow River phosphorus management plan

Description

Presents background information on the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan and the steps to be taken to move the plan from paper to action, including the establishment of an implementation... More ≫

Description

Presents background information on the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan and the steps to be taken to move the plan from paper to action, including the establishment of an implementation committee. The goal of the plan is to address sources of phosphorus in the middle reach of the Bow River between the Bearspaw and Bassano dams.

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Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan : 2015 implementation summary report

Description

The Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP) is a strategic plan to address sources of phosphorus in the middle reach of the Bow River between the Bearspaw and Bassano Dams. This is the PMP... More ≫

Description

The Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP) is a strategic plan to address sources of phosphorus in the middle reach of the Bow River between the Bearspaw and Bassano Dams. This is the PMP implementation committee summary report.

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Analysis of water quality sampling of Twin Valley Reservoir, Clear Lake and tributaries, 1999-2010

Description

Twin Valley Reservoir was first filled in 2003 following construction of a new dam on the Little Bow River near its confluence with Mosquito Creek. To fill and operate the new reservoir, increased... More ≫

Description

Twin Valley Reservoir was first filled in 2003 following construction of a new dam on the Little Bow River near its confluence with Mosquito Creek. To fill and operate the new reservoir, increased diversion from the Highwood River to Women’s Coulee and to the Little Bow River occurs in spring according to an approved water management plan. An existing lake, Clear Lake, was also stabilized by diversion from Mosquito Creek near the mouth first operated in 2002, and additional enhancements. This report presents an evaluation and statistical analysis of water quality in Twin Valley Reservoir, Clear Lake, and their tributaries that was prepared using intensive monitoring data collected by Alberta Environment from 1999 to 2010, with reference to previous baseline sampling where needed for statistical testing.

Bow River phosphorus management plan (PMP) : water quality data analysis

Description

The Bow River begins in the Rocky Mountains and runs through foothills onto the prairies, ending at the confluence with the Oldman River, where it becomes the South Saskatchewan River. The river... More ≫

Description

The Bow River begins in the Rocky Mountains and runs through foothills onto the prairies, ending at the confluence with the Oldman River, where it becomes the South Saskatchewan River. The river is an important source of water for municipal use, livestock, irrigation, fisheries, recreational use and hydroelectric power. Between the Bearspaw and Bassano Dams, water needs from population, industry and agriculture result in large bodies of water being withdrawn from the Bow. The high reliance on the Bow River in this area makes it important to understand the quality of the water available and to plan effectively for its use. One component of this planning is analysing the water quality data that has been gathered for this reach.

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Bow River phosphorus management plan (PMP) : modelling for phosphorus

Description

The Bow River begins in the Rocky Mountains and runs through foothills onto the prairies, ending at the confluence with the Oldman River, where it becomes the South Saskatchewan River. The river... More ≫

Description

The Bow River begins in the Rocky Mountains and runs through foothills onto the prairies, ending at the confluence with the Oldman River, where it becomes the South Saskatchewan River. The river is an important source of water for municipal use, livestock, irrigation, fisheries, recreational use and hydroelectric power. Between the Bearspaw and Bassano Dams, population, industry and agriculture result in large volumes of water being withdrawn from the Bow. The high reliance on the Bow River in this area makes it important to understand the quality of the water available and to plan effectively for its use. One component of this planning is water quality modelling.

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Bow River phosphorus management plan

Description

Heightened nutrient levels in the Bow River downstream of Calgary have long been a concern. In the 1970s and 1980s, high nutrient levels resulted in excessive aquatic plant growth resulting in low... More ≫

Description

Heightened nutrient levels in the Bow River downstream of Calgary have long been a concern. In the 1970s and 1980s, high nutrient levels resulted in excessive aquatic plant growth resulting in low dissolved oxygen and occasional fish mortality. An interim policy on effluent limits was released by Alberta Environment in 2008. This policy required that a regional nutrient load reduction plan be developed for reaches at risk of exceeding water quality guidelines. At the same time the Government of Alberta was transitioning to an environmental management approach that addresses the cumulative effects of resource management decisions and considers the environmental, economic and social implications of development for an entire region. In 2011, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) invited contributing parties in the affected reach of the Bow River to initiate a voluntary, collaborative process to address phosphorus loadings, not just from point sources such as...

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Report on cumulative effects management in Alberta for the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan

Description

This report presents an overview of cumulative effects management in Alberta to date with a focus on sub-regional activities, along with a detailed description of the Bow River Phosphorus... More ≫

Description

This report presents an overview of cumulative effects management in Alberta to date with a focus on sub-regional activities, along with a detailed description of the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan prototype and lessons tha may be applicable to future, similar processes. A suggested process is outlined that builds on experience to date, and a compendium of tools and other elements is presented to assist sub-regional plan development and implementation.

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Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan : water quality modeling scenarios

Description

Eight scenarios were run with the Bow River Water Quality Model (BRWQM) to support the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP). The scenarios predicted close to 10% increase in the instream... More ≫

Description

Eight scenarios were run with the Bow River Water Quality Model (BRWQM) to support the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP). The scenarios predicted close to 10% increase in the instream Total Phosphorus (TP) concentration above Highwood River using the loading projected by 2039. The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was above the chronic guideline of 6.5 mg/L in all the scenarios; however, in some instances the DO was below 8.3 mg/L in May and June. The acute guideline showed two critical locations: 10 km downstream from Bonnybrook and 10 km downstream from Strathmore wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The frequency of compliance was at or below 99.91% in these two locations for the scenarios that used the forecasted TP loading by 2039.

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