WATER NEWS 1/03
Water news roundup
BC
B.C. research suggests road salt linked to death and deformities in salmon
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found evidence suggesting high levels of road salt in B.C. streams can cause death of salmon eggs and deformities in young salmon, and they hope their results will cause cities to adopt "smarter salting practices."
UBC zoology students Carley Winter and Clare Kilgour are three years into a five-year study on the impacts of road salt on freshwater streams in the Lower Mainland and how they affect salmon eggs and young fry. (MSN)
New threat to BC lakes with invasive mussel discovery
The fight to keep the Okanagan invasive mussel-free continues with the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) recently briefed on a new threat with the discovery of an invasive mussel new to North America, the golden mussel.
This species, originally from China, represents a “significant threat to infrastructure and habitats” and can adapt easily to lakes with low calcium content, the OBWB said. The mussels were first detected in California in October 2024.
The non-native range of the Golden mussels now includes Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and now California.
(Times Chronicle)
Climate change is coming for Canada's vital trade routes
When southwestern British Columbia was hit with the historic 2021 atmospheric river, the Port of Vancouver’s operations ground to a halt, stalling billions of dollars in trade for a week.
And that’s only the beginning of the upheaval extreme weather and climate change will wreak on our infrastructure and economy.
Canada is not ready to deal with the damage climate change will inflict on transportation hubs that safeguard our supply chains, warns a Senate committee report. (National Observer)
AB
City, southern Alberta farmers encouraged after 2024 was Calgary's wettest year since 2016
After city and provincial officials sounded alarm bells last year about the risk of drought for Calgary and southern Alberta, 2024 ended up as the city’s wettest year for almost a decade.
Calgary got 494 millimetres of precipitation last year, the most the city has received since 2016, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (Calgary Herald)
Alberta project will test chemical meant to reduce water use, increase flow of heavy oil and bitumen
Three projects that are being funded by the province through a $2.7 million investment from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program
The Kirby North plant in Lac La Biche will be a testing site for a chemical additive that is meant to improve the flow of heavy oil and bitumen in steam-assisted gravity drainage operations, conducted by Canadian Natural Resources Limited.
Canadian Natural is using $1.2 million in provincial funding for the initiative. According to information from the government of Alberta, the additive, called ChampionX, assists oil in flowing quicker, puts a stop to blockages, and also lessens the need for steam, reducing the amount of water needed. (Airdrie City View)
YU
Year in review 2024: Landslide at Victoria Gold mine
A vast wave of earth slid from the heap leech facility at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold Mine on June 24, 2024. This event would expose cyanide-drenched ore to the wider environment and the Yukon’s entire system of mining regulation to intense scrutiny for the rest of the year.
The immediate aftermath of the slide was marked by a lack of information released by the company responsible leaving employees, shareholders and the rest of the Yukon population with questions.
(Yukon News)
ON
Huron-Kinloss switching water and wastewater service providers
A new company will operate and maintain the water and wastewater systems for the Township of Huron-Kinloss over the next five years.
The town agreed to a $4.3 million, five-year contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), effective January 1.
In a release, the town said "OCWA brings a wealth of expertise and... their strategic planning and energy management programs will support the Township in maintaining efficient and environmentally responsible operations." (CKNews Today)
NU
New year kicks off with Arctic cool across North America
Arctic cold from Siberia is moving south to Eastern Canada and the U.S., according to the U.S. National Weather Service, Climate Prediction Center.
The drop in temperature is due to a phenomenon called Arctic outbreak, which in the U.S. is often referred to by the more attention-grabbing term Arctic “blast,” said Brian Proctor, a meteorologist at Environment Canada.
The outbreak is caused by cold air masses from Siberia that crossed the North Pole to Alaska, pushed east to northern Canada and will continue to move southward reaching as deep into the southern U.S. as Florida, Proctor said.
(Nunatsiaq News)
NL
Churchill Falls MOU Flawed Without Expert Panel Review
Former Premier Brian Peckford is throwing cold water on the re-negotiated Churchill Falls hydro deal with Quebec.
In a news release today, Peckford says the province is putting “the cart before the horse” with the memorandum of understanding announced with much fanfare in mid-December.
Peckford, who was premier when the original Atlantic Accord resources agreement was signed in the 1980s, claims the new deal bypasses the most fundamental procedure of undergoing an expert panel review before it’s debated in the House of Assembly.
(VCOM)
