All Resources

Nutrient targets for small streams in agricultural watersheds of Alberta : final report

Description

This study developed numeric nutrient target ranges, representing low, moderate and high risk of aquatic ecosystem impairment, for small agricultural streams in Alberta in the absence of... More ≫

Description

This study developed numeric nutrient target ranges, representing low, moderate and high risk of aquatic ecosystem impairment, for small agricultural streams in Alberta in the absence of Alberta-specific numeric nutrient water quality guidelines. The transport of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from agricultural areas into surface water can lead to eutrophication of waterbodies. As a user of water, Alberta’s agriculture sector has a vested interest in surface water protection. Numeric guidelines for nutrients in surface waters serve a valuable role as benchmarks for water quality monitoring and watershed management programs, and agricultural sustainability initiatives.

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Ion balance study report

Description

This report provides a detailed analysis of calculating ion balance (a parameter used to evaluate surface water and ground water quality) and recommends a new calculation approach that improves... More ≫

Description

This report provides a detailed analysis of calculating ion balance (a parameter used to evaluate surface water and ground water quality) and recommends a new calculation approach that improves ion balance accuracy. The report is a resource for staff and other stakeholders, such as lab scientists and researchers, performing calculations during routine water analysis.

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2024-25 ambient environment monitoring plan for oil sands development

Description

Summaries of projects approved under the 2024-2025 Ambient Environment Monitoring Plan for Oil Sands Development.

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Looking upstream : a 5-year review of Alberta’s monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER) plan for lotic systems

Description

This report provides a summary of activities conducted between 2016 and 2021 under A Five-Year Provincial Water Quality Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Plan for Lotic Systems (Kerr and Cooke... More ≫

Description

This report provides a summary of activities conducted between 2016 and 2021 under A Five-Year Provincial Water Quality Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Plan for Lotic Systems (Kerr and Cooke 2019). An overview of this first river water quality monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan is provided, along with an evaluation of key metrics of the program, including sampling details, parameters monitored, and quality assurance/quality control efforts. The report presents summary findings and identifies ongoing gaps related to scientific questions. Key issues and improvements are recommended for consideration in the development of the next monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan.

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MULTISAR : a multi-species conservation strategy for species at risk in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta, 2022–2023 report

Description

The MULTISAR program is focused on multi-species conservation at the landscape level that promotes stewardship through voluntary participation of landholders on both Crown and private lands. It is... More ≫

Description

The MULTISAR program is focused on multi-species conservation at the landscape level that promotes stewardship through voluntary participation of landholders on both Crown and private lands. It is a collaborative effort among landholders, Alberta Conservation Association, Alberta Environment and Parks, and the Prairie Conservation Forum. This report summarizes MULTISAR's accomplishments in 2022-2023 in its three primary program areas: habitat conservation strategies; education, outreach and awareness; and research, monitoring, and evaluation.

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The WaterSHED monitoring program : technical progress report 2018-2021

Description

This is the second technical report from the multistakeholder WaterSHED water quality monitoring program of North Saskatchewan River Basin tributaries. The report includes a summary of program... More ≫

Description

This is the second technical report from the multistakeholder WaterSHED water quality monitoring program of North Saskatchewan River Basin tributaries. The report includes a summary of program operation, results from water quality sampling and flow monitoring, assessments of water quality relative to surface water quality guidelines, and quantification of mass export of several water quality parameters from tributaries across the basin. The report concludes with a review of program learnings realized during operation of the WaterSHED monitoring program and descriptions of ongoing and future work.

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Status of air quality in Alberta : air zones report

Description

These reports summarize the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards status for Alberta’s air zones for ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and... More ≫

Description

These reports summarize the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards status for Alberta’s air zones for ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. These reports also summarizes the status of air quality in relation to the Air Quality Management Frameworks currently in place in Alberta: the Lower Athabasca AQMF supporting the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan and the South Saskatchewan AQMF supporting the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan.

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Rocky Creek bull trout cumulative effects model and threat summary

Description

Alberta's fisheries cumulative effects modelling approach (Joe model) was used to assess the threats to bull trout in four Clearwater River watersheds (Rocky, Elk, Cutoff and Limestone creeks).... More ≫

Description

Alberta's fisheries cumulative effects modelling approach (Joe model) was used to assess the threats to bull trout in four Clearwater River watersheds (Rocky, Elk, Cutoff and Limestone creeks). The bull trout Joe model is a semi-quantitative cumulative effects model that combines 18 different threats and was populated with data specific for each of the four watersheds. This report documents the rationale for the relationship between the modelled stressors and predicted bull trout system capacity (stressor-response curves), describes the data used to populate the stressor input values, and provides a short summary of stressors and model outputs for each of the four study watersheds.

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2023-24 ambient environment monitoring plan for oil sands development

Description

Summaries for projects approved under the 2023-2024 Ambient Environment Monitoring Plan for Oil Sands Development.

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Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Indigenous Lake monitoring program evaluation report

Description

The Indigenous Lake Monitoring Program (ILMP) was developed in response to Indigenous communities’ concerns about the quality of lakes of local importance as well as the Community-Based Monitoring... More ≫

Description

The Indigenous Lake Monitoring Program (ILMP) was developed in response to Indigenous communities’ concerns about the quality of lakes of local importance as well as the Community-Based Monitoring & Knowledge teams’ mandate to explore opportunities to work together with Indigenous communities to advance environmental stewardship. The ILMP aims to support and enable stewardship and management of Alberta’s lakes based on the best available Indigenous and scientific knowledge. From 2016-21, staff from CBM&K, Watershed Sciences and Watershed Monitoring units within the Airshed & Watershed Stewardship Branch worked with community technicians from four First Nations (Bigstone Cree Nation, Cold Lake First Nations, Whitefish Lake First Nation, Dene Tha' First Nation) to collect and report on water chemistry, physical measurements, and biological samples on seven lakes in Northern Alberta. The ILMP Evaluation Report summarizes the findings of an independent evaluation of the ILMP...

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