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Evaluation of four reports on contamination of the Athabasca River system by oil sands operations

Description

This publication includes the technical evaluation, recommendations and general conclusions drawn from four reports of contamination of the Athabasca River system by oil sands operations. The four... More ≫

Description

This publication includes the technical evaluation, recommendations and general conclusions drawn from four reports of contamination of the Athabasca River system by oil sands operations. The four reports included two papers written by a team of scientists led by Drs. David Schindler and Erin Kelly of the University of Alberta, one Alberta Environment report written by T. Hebben, and a report from the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program.

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Uranium anomalies in shallow groundwater near Bonnyville, Alberta

Description

This report presents the findings of an investigation into the source and controls of uranium in groundwater from two sites near Bonnyville, Alberta. Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures was... More ≫

Description

This report presents the findings of an investigation into the source and controls of uranium in groundwater from two sites near Bonnyville, Alberta. Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures was contacted to investigate uranium concentrations in groundwater from water wells within the Cold Lake - Beaver River Basin and to develop a better understanding of the source and mechanisms controlling uranium concentrations in groundwater.

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Expert workshop on selenium fish science in the Athabasca River, Alberta : workshop summary report

Description

An expert selenium fisheries panel was convened in 2007 to provide both government and industry stakeholders with an independent review. This final report, the last of three commissioned by the... More ≫

Description

An expert selenium fisheries panel was convened in 2007 to provide both government and industry stakeholders with an independent review. This final report, the last of three commissioned by the Alberta government, provides five recommendations to aid the Alberta Selenium Working Group, a joint industry-government body, in efforts to mitigate the effect of the naturally occurring element. Includes acceptance of the report by the Alberta Selenium Working Group.

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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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Review of benthic invertebrates and epilithic algae at long-term monitoring sites in the Bow River

Description

The report evaluates longitudinal trends in benthic invertebrate and epilithic algal communities sampled from long-term river network sites on the Bow River in 2006. It also compares long-term... More ≫

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The report evaluates longitudinal trends in benthic invertebrate and epilithic algal communities sampled from long-term river network sites on the Bow River in 2006. It also compares long-term trends in historical (1983-1992) and 2006 data. Responses to nutrient enrichment are clearly visible below Calgary: invertebrates and algae thrive in fast flowing (erosional) areas, but in slow flowing (depositional) areas lower diversities indicate stress. At Cochrane invertebrates and algae are impacted by strong diurnal fluctuations in river discharge resulting from hydro-electric dam operation.

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An independent review of coalbed methane related water well complaints filed with Alberta Environment

Description

Alberta Research Council was contracted by Alberta Environment to conduct four reviews of complaints about coalbed methane activities affecting private water wells, to independently assess the... More ≫

Description

Alberta Research Council was contracted by Alberta Environment to conduct four reviews of complaints about coalbed methane activities affecting private water wells, to independently assess the scientific evidence and provide conclusions identifying whether or not the water wells had been impacted by coalbed methane or conventional oil/gas extraction activities.

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Overview of fish contaminant monitoring programs in jurisdictions and summary of Alberta studies : final report

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This report includes an overview of major fish contaminant monitoring programs in Canada and U.S.A., and a summary of available fish contaminant surveys or monitoring studies from Alberta.

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

Description

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 ≫

Description

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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Selenium concentrations in the tissues of fish from the Upper McLeod and Upper Smoky River systems

Description

The present study compared selenium in fish tissues from flowing water systems near three west-central Alberta mountain cola mines in the upper McLeod and Smoky River systems to the toxicity... More ≫

Description

The present study compared selenium in fish tissues from flowing water systems near three west-central Alberta mountain cola mines in the upper McLeod and Smoky River systems to the toxicity effects thresholds developed by Lemly (1996). Overall, data for fish tissues collected in 2000 and 2001 by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development showed that selenium concentrations in rainbow and brook trout were usually greater than toxicity effects thresholds in the exposed streams compared to reference streams, particularly in the tissues of fish collected from waters draining the Luscar and Gregg River mines. General patterns for selenium concentrations int he remaining fish species sampled (bull trout, mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling, and longnose sucker) compared to effects thresholds were not always as apparent. This was to some extent due to the potential influences of spawning migrations of mountain whitefish and bull trout among the exposed and reference sampling locations, and...

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Potential for biodegradation of sub-littoral residual oil by naturally occurring microorganisms following the Lake Wabamun train derailment

Description

On August 3rd, 2005, 46 Canadian National Railway Company rail cars derailed approximately 65 km west of Edmonton, Alberta. Approximately 712,000 L of Bunker C heavy fuel oil and 88,000 L of... More ≫

Description

On August 3rd, 2005, 46 Canadian National Railway Company rail cars derailed approximately 65 km west of Edmonton, Alberta. Approximately 712,000 L of Bunker C heavy fuel oil and 88,000 L of Imperial Pole Treating Oil were released from the ruptured cars. The oils saturated the adjacent ground, flowed on the surface, and entered the lake waters on the north shore of Lake Wabamun. A variety of scientific support surveys or activities were initiated by Alberta Environment and Environment Canada as a result of the spill, including a study to investigate the potential ability of Lake Wabamun sediment microorganisms to biodegrade spilled Bunker C oil. This report describes results of this study.

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