Reading Time: < 1 minute The loss of glaciers due to climate change is likely to mean late-summer water shortages for more than one million Albertans, according to a new study. It’s predicted Western Canada will see a 70 to 90 per cent glacier loss by 2100, and that will impact Alberta’s water supply, notably the Bighorn Dam (about 100 […] Read more
Glacier loss to impact Alberta water supply
Interest in irrigation in Alberta heads north
While the lion’s share of irrigation is in the south, some expect a major expansion as far north as the Peace
Reading Time: 7 minutes From the highway, the sign seems out of place. “Now open, Southern Irrigation,” it declares. Down Lethbridge way, it might not be unusual to see a yard full of irrigation pipes and reels of tubing. But Red Deer isn’t exactly the epicentre of irrigation in the province. But that may slowly be starting to change, […] Read more
Farmers in three provinces tapped to help reduce flood risk
A $250,000 investment will see 46 farmers establish and maintain 365 acres of wetland projects
Reading Time: 3 minutes New funding for an innovative conservation program could help reduce flood risk in Alberta’s largest city. The charitable arm of Intact Financial Corporation — the country’s largest provider of property and casualty insurance — is giving nearly $250,000 in funding for ALUS Canada to develop natural infrastructure projects in four communities across Canada, including two […] Read more
Spring is the time for testing your farm’s water supply
Testing for every possible contaminant is expensive — here’s what should be at the top of the checklist
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s up to rural landowners to keep their water safe — and spring is the ideal time to get that job done, says a water quality expert. “Winter can accumulate pollutants, then spring thaw and run-off carries the previous six months’ worth of pollutants down to groundwater and sideways towards surface supplies,” said Mitch Golay, […] Read more
Eat plant-based foods more often, new Food Guide says
Health Canada unveiled a new Canada Food Guide today that ends the era of the ‘four food groups,’ no longer refers to serving sizes nor specific amounts of food to eat daily, and replaces the former iconic rainbow with a dinner plate comprised mostly of plant-based foods. This new guide is all about proportion rather […] Read more
Dealing with gases in your water well
Dissolved gases occur naturally in water wells but can lead to both quality and safety issues
Reading Time: 2 minutes Gases in water wells can cause some quality issues or even be a danger, says an agricultural water engineer with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Gases can occur naturally in water wells after being dissolved in the water and released when pumped out of the well. “Sometimes people complain about the smell, but the gases you […] Read more
Virtual reality shows real-world implications of land management on flooding
A new computer simulation tool shows how healthier soils can reduce run-off on the landscape
Reading Time: 3 minutes Virtual reality isn’t all fun and games. It’s also helping with flood mitigation. “We’ve built this tool that can characterize the risks around flooding and the influence that good management practices within the agricultural landscape can have on flood resiliency downstream,” said Steven Frey, a senior scientist at Aquanty Inc. The company, a research spinoff […] Read more
Popular Working Well program launches new season
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new season of Working Well workshops gets underway this month. Since it was launched in 2008, there have been 254 workshops on how to properly care for water wells and protect groundwater resources. More than 6,900 people in 172 different communities have taken the workshops, which are put on by several provincial departments and […] Read more
What do you want your fresh water used for?
Each of us needs to think about the sustainability of the limited supply of this most precious resource
Reading Time: 3 minutes It all began with industrious engineers who understood hydrology and the importance of water. They built dams and created wetlands throughout Canada, and in doing so had a system in place for water preservation and purification. Then the felt hat became fashionable, and those engineers ended up as pelts on long canoes for shipment to […] Read more
Eco-services group to capture flood waters on farms and ranches
Reading Time: < 1 minute ALUS Canada has been given a $720,000 grant from Alberta Environment and Parks’ Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program for flood-prevention work. “We are excited to start putting this funding to good use on the ground in the Modeste subwatershed,” said Lara Ellis, the organization’s director of strategic initiatives. “ALUS will quickly establish new natural infrastructure […] Read more
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