Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta water well owners have access to a host of information, tools, resources, and experts to help them. The Working Well program (www.workingwell.alberta.ca) offers province-wide, hands-on workshops for well owners to learn the basics of groundwater, well construction, common well problems, contamination risks, importance of well reclamation, and best management practices. The website also has […] Read more
Here’s where to find well water resources
There are workshops, fact sheets, videos, well records, and online tools to help you maintain good water quality
Well pits jeopardize water quality and your safety
Even though they were banned more than two decades ago, hundreds of these hazardous pits can be found across Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes When her father attempted to rescue her, he also passed out. The teenaged son who attempted to retrieve both his sister and father was also overcome. Of the three family members who entered the cellar, only the father survived. At first, investigators suspected that the vegetables had rotted and emitted a toxic gas, but the […] Read more
New tool for managing nutrient run-off
Free downloadable tool for assessing phosphorus run-off risk and creating a customized mitigation plan will be available this spring
Reading Time: 3 minutes As more and more farmers, politicians and laypeople are coming to understand, nutrient run-off from farm fields into waterways is a very big deal. When not managed properly, nutrients from fertilizer and manure make their way into creeks, lakes, dugouts, and other water bodies. But a new tool to help mitigate phosphorus run-off risk will […] Read more
Working with producers top priority for irrigation research chair
Willemijn Appels wants to focus on research projects ‘that will really benefit local producers'
Reading Time: 2 minutes Calling all Alberta irrigators — Lethbridge College’s new irrigation science chair wants to know about your experiences and challenges with agricultural water management. In March, Willemijn Appels took up her new posting, which was created with a $3.1-million gift from the estate of Lloyd and Dorothy Mueller two years ago. “My job over the last […] Read more
Irrigation not forgotten in Bow River flood mitigation agreement
Keeping water levels lower behind the Ghost Dam provides capacity for capturing flood waters, but can mean less water is available later on
Reading Time: 2 minutes While irrigation districts are thankful that drought was considered in a recent flood mitigation agreement between the province and TransAlta, there is concern that more might be needed in order to ensure adequate water is available during dry spells. The five-year agreement will see TransAlta paid $5.5 million annually for keeping water levels at the […] Read more
There can be a deadly danger in your dugout
Toxins from blue-green algae can be fatal if ingested by livestock, but you can reduce the risk
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s the time of year to keep watch for blue-green algae. “Blue-green algae is actually cyanobacteria, and can produce toxins that can be very dangerous,” said Shawn Elgert, a provincial agricultural water engineer. “It can cause organ damage or even death if ingested by livestock or pets. If you are trying to determine the cause […] Read more
Clearing up the confusion about humidity
The term ‘relative humidity’ is commonly used, but most people don’t know what it means and why it’s misleading
Reading Time: 4 minutes As we move into the heart of summer and with all this moisture around in many regions, I think it’s time to revisit one misunderstood concept — humidity. To be more specific, we are going to look at exactly what humidity is, how we measure it, and how it is reported and interpreted. The simplest definition […] Read more
Capturing value from riparian areas
The first step is to have a plan before you start fencing, says riparian management expert
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ask just about any Alberta farmer about the worst drought in recent memory and there’s a good chance they will say 2002 — a year that saw water supplies devastated throughout the province. For Sean McGrath, some foresight around land management that year prevented what could have been a disaster. Fencing off a dugout and […] Read more
We think we have water in abundance, but that’s just not so
We need to start appreciating how precious each litre of fresh water is, and how much of it we are using
Reading Time: 4 minutes The dry spring brought to many parts of Alberta the stark reality of the importance of rainwater. But all water usage is getting stretched beyond that which falls from the sky. And although this province is technically a semi-arid climate, Albertans have often thought of themselves as “water abundant.” Are we? Alberta has 2.2 per […] Read more
Alberta water supply looking good
Reading Time: < 1 minute Current snowpack conditions are looking pretty good in all of the head works for Alberta irrigation districts except for the southern tributary as the St. Mary’s River is currently tracking below-normal levels. The Oldman and Bow river systems are tracking at normal and higher-than-normal levels, said provincial irrigation water engineer Lloyd Healy. Reservoir levels in […] Read more
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