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Welcome to the Athabasca Current, where each month we share the latest opportunities for upcoming events, links of interest, and give you an update on staff and board activities.
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Upwelling usually refers to the process by which deep, cold ocean water is brought to the surface. It can also refer to a similar occurrence in large lakes (like Lake Athabasca), or the transportation of nutrients in a body of water. In the Athabasca Current, we'll highlight a top priority item (or two!) here.
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Shayla Watson received an Environmental Sciences diploma from Lakeland College with a major in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation. She has also received a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences from the University of Alberta with a major in Conservation Biology. She enjoys spending her free time outside doing activities like hiking, gardening, birding, and photography. Shalya will be joining us as an intern over the next eight months as part of the University of Alberta's Adaptation and Resiliency Training program.
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The thalweg is the line connecting the lowest points in a valley, and thus the line of fastest flow or deepest water. For the Athabasca Current, the Thalweg will be events and opportunities that are coming up quick.
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Tawatinaw Watershed Working Group Meeting
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The next meeting of the working group will be on November 25th at 10am, more details to come.
The Tawatinaw Watershed Working Group now has a Water Rangers page to add data on the water quality of the Tawatinaw River. If you'd like to help us collect data on the water quality of the Tawatinaw River, consider joining the Tawatinaw Watershed Working Group!
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A channel can be defined as the outline of a path of water. The channel is where we'll be outlining some of the work the staff and board have done each month!
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Blue Ridge Family Fun Day
On September 9th, Ashley, Petra and volunteer Margaret participated in Blue Ridge Family Fun Day at the Blue Ridge Recreation Area.
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2023 ALMS Conference
On September 12th and 13th, Ashley, Caity, and board member Brian attended the 2023 Alberta Lake Management Society conference in Sylvan Lake.
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From Lac la Biche to Edson
On September 14th, Sarah presented to the Lac La Biche Watershed Management Implementation Committee on how the AWC can support the plan with the AWC's Healthy Shorelines Initiative.
Also on September 14th, Petra attended a joint meeting of the West Central Airshed Society and Yellowhead Synergy. She heard 3 excellent presentations, and networked with a number of sector representatives working in the Edson area.
Sarah presented to the Town of Athabasca about our Healthy Shorelines Initiative, highlighting that the Tawatinaw River in the Town of Athabasca has been an area of study for the Athabasca Watershed Council under our Healthy Shorelines Initiative over the past two years.
Petra listened in on a DFO webinar outlining legislation for projects near water (see projects near water).
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September Board Meeting
On September 21st, the AWC held a hybrid board meeting in Athabasca. Following the meeting, Ashley hosted an X-Stream Science demonstration for any board members interested.
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Thank you to Dean Litzenberger for taking photos of the X-Stream Science demonstration!
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The next AWC board meeting will be held on November 23rd, 2023, more details to come.
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Check out some of our blog posts for more information on our projects and why we do them:
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Playfair was an English geologist who was among some of the first Western scientists to recognize that rivers shape the landscape. River basins and valleys are formed by water carving across the landscape. This section will be where we share news, surveys, and other links from across the landscape that might shape the way we view the Athabasca watershed.
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Island Lake and Baptiste Lake Potable Water Feasibility Study
Athabasca County Council approved funding for an Island Lake and Baptiste Lake Potable Water Feasibility Study at their September 12th meeting. A provincial grant has been awarded to cover 75% of the total cost, with the remainder of the cost to be divided and covered by the County and the summer villages of Island Lake, Island Lake South, Sunset Beach, South Baptiste, Whispering Hills, and West Baptiste. The feasibility study is the first step to ensuring the summer villages have easy and reliable access to clean drinking water.
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Drought and Water Shortages
Drought and Water Shortages are being experienced in many parts of Alberta, including in the Athabasca watershed with the Steepbank, Ells, and Clearwater Rivers. Alberta Rivers Basins has the most up to date information on water shortage advisories. The Canadian Drought Outlook indicates abnormally dry to extremely dry conditions, and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s long-range forecast predicts El Nino conditions with above average temperatures and below normal precipitation. A number of Government of Alberta departments, including Environment and Protected Areas, Agriculture and Irrigation, and Alberta Energy Regulator are working together to manage the water shortage; the current water shortage has triggered a stage 4 water management response.
What can you do?
Remember that every drop matters. If you are in a water-short area, check with your water supplier for conservation directions, if necessary.
Alberta has experienced hot, dry summers and droughts before, and the best way to get through it is to ensure we don’t use more water than we need. The government is closely monitoring precipitation levels, reservoirs and lake levels, stream flow rates in rivers, and water demand; they are also working with water users and local governments directly to help manage and conserve water where possible.
We all have a role to play in conserving water for our communities, and for our downstream neighbours.
Additional Resources:
· Drought Webpage
· Stages of water management factsheet
· Learn to use Rivers Alberta (Video)
· Get to know your water flow Factsheet
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Even disconnected wetlands are important!
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A confluence is a place where two streams flow together. If you'd like to help the AWC and support the work that we do, please consider supporting the AWC through making a donation.
Our organization is accepting donations through the ATB Cares/Benevity portal. ATB Cares will match 15% of every dollar donated to Alberta-based, non-religious charities through this site (up to $5,000 of matching funds a year).
Your support to the Athabasca Watershed Council will help us achieve our vision of a watershed that is ecologically healthy, socially responsible, and economically sustainable. If you would like to make a donation, visit our website using the link below.
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Bankfull is the point on the slope of a bank where any further water level rise would cause water to spill out onto the floodplain. We thank our members and partner organizations for their ongoing support. We hope to be able to go above and beyond in the work that we do, which wouldn't be possible without our supporters. This month, we would like to thank the Alberta Conservation Association for their financial support on our Upper Athabasca Watershed Biomonitoring Project.
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