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Assessment of recent changes in water quality of the Bow River downstream of the Canada Creosote site in Calgary

Description

These sampling results provide no evidence that the target compounds occur regularly in river water along the left bank (facing downstream), on the north side of the river. Contaminant movement... More ≫

Description

These sampling results provide no evidence that the target compounds occur regularly in river water along the left bank (facing downstream), on the north side of the river. Contaminant movement from the remaining pool of DNAPL in the river bed close to the right bank (facing downstream) remains the likely source of compounds detected on that side of the river downstream from the Canada Creosote site.

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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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Preliminary report of Athabasca River water quality results in response to the Obed Mountain Mine release

Description

A dyke failure on the Obed Mountain Mine site in the Hinton region on October 31, 2013 caused the release of an estimated 670,000 cubic metres of process water and suspended sediment into the... More ≫

Description

A dyke failure on the Obed Mountain Mine site in the Hinton region on October 31, 2013 caused the release of an estimated 670,000 cubic metres of process water and suspended sediment into the Apetowan and Plante Creeks. These creeks merge into the Athabasca River downstream of Hinton. A number of government departments and agencies have actively been involved in responding to this event. This preliminary report summarises the first week of analytical sample data collected by Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) and analysed by both ESRD and Alberta Health Services. Current near real-time turbidity data is also included.

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Bow River phosphorus management plan : scenario modeling results for Crowfoot Creek

Description

The SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) model was selected to simulate different agricultural practices and BMP options in Crowfoot Creek. The Crowfoot Creek watershed was selected as a pilot study... More ≫

Description

The SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) model was selected to simulate different agricultural practices and BMP options in Crowfoot Creek. The Crowfoot Creek watershed was selected as a pilot study area for rural nonpoint source BMP scenario modeling in Bow River Basin. Seven scenarios were run with the SWAT model to support the PMP. These included: protection of existing wetlands; restoration of degraded/drained wetlands; manure management and spreading; cropland conversion to perennial forage in riparian zones or in-field gullies/waterways; and riparian fall grazing within cultivated lands.

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Report on the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan INFFER analysis

Description

Land Stewardship Centre (LSC) is working to bring awareness and knowledge of the Investment Framework for Environmental Resources to Alberta, and in particular, to key decision makers, land-use... More ≫

Description

Land Stewardship Centre (LSC) is working to bring awareness and knowledge of the Investment Framework for Environmental Resources to Alberta, and in particular, to key decision makers, land-use planners and program developers, in an effort to grow the capacity for implementing an asset-based, outcome-focused approach to natural resource management. LSC utilized the INFFER framework as a decision support mechanism to assist the Bow River Phosphorous Management Plan (BRPMP) Steering Committee in developing a phosphorus management plan. Included in the analysis was a need for clearly identifying the targeted asset, an assessment of the potential impacts of specific programs, estimating the adoption of programs by landowners and land managers, short and long-term costs for each proposed scenario, and risk estimates.

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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 ≫

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 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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