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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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NEW! Citizen Science Opportunity in the Tawatinaw Watershed
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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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Farewell to Kailyn and Kendra
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August 31st marked the last day of work for our Watershed Science Technicians Kailyn and Kendra. We're sad to see them go, but excited to share what they worked on over the next few weeks! We'd like to give them a big thank you for all of the phenomenal work they did this summer, and wish them all the best as they head back to school.
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Congratulations to Sarah and Nolan
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Our Watershed Science Coordinator Sarah MacDonald, now Sarah Shortt took some well deserved time off at the beginning of August to celebrate her marriage! A huge congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Shortt, who celebrated their wedding in Nova Scotia earlier this month.
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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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Alberta Lake Management Society Conference
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The 2023 ALMS Conference will take place on September 12th and 13th in Sylvan Lake! They've got a great set of presentations lined up, including bulrush restoration, oil sands monitoring, cyanobacteria blooms and more!
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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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WPAC Summit Planning
On August 3rd, Petra participated in a WPAC Summit planning meeting. This year, the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance is hosting the summit, which will be held in Drumheller October 12-13. More details will be shared in our next newsletter!
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Collaboration with Spirit North
On August 8th and 9th, our Education and Outreach Coordinator Ashley and or Watershed Science Technician Kendra teamed up with Spirit North to deliver programming out of the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre. The kids who attended the programming learned about riparian areas and aquatic insects.
Spirit North is a non-profit working to connect Indigenous youth to the outdoors and the land. Learn more here.
The Athabasca Native Friendship Centre is a non-profit offering programs, supports, and services to Indigenous people. Learn more here.
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Eastern Slopes Collaborative
On August 22nd Sarah facilitated the quarterly Eastern Slopes Aquatic Monitoring Collaborative. The collaborative is coordinating the Reference Condition Approach for benthic invertebrates to be able to better understand their communities along the Eastern Slopes of Alberta. Over 22 organizations are involved in this collaborative!
Learn more about our work in the Eastern Slopes here.
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Pembina Water Sampling
On August 29th, 30th, and 31st, staff went out with Lauren from CPP Environmental to complete water quality sampling along the Pembina River and select tributaries. This sampling is part of a two-year water quality monitoring project in the Pembina watershed to help fill data gaps, funded by Pembina Pipelines.
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Vacation Time
August has been a quieter month for AWC staff, allowing us all to take some well earned vacation time. We'll be back to our usual level of activity in September, including some exciting project updates so be sure to stay subscribed!
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The next AWC board meeting will be held on September 21, 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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Athabasca Residents: Invitation to Participate in a Scientific Study
University of Alberta professor Dr. Michael Serpe is looking to conduct a study in the Athabasca area with the participation of several households. This will be a small-scale study to determine how new sensors being developed can be used for monitoring household water quality.
A small honorarium may be provided to households interested in participating. As part of the study, a sensor unit will be placed in the home, and the homeowner will collect water samples from their taps every day for 8 months. If you are interested in participating, and to learn more about the study, contact Dr. Serpe at serpe@ualberta.ca
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Streams of Consequence Dispatches from the Conservation World by Lorne Fitch
Lorne Fitch has been working as a biologist for over 50 years, and in his book Streams of Consequence he highlights the biodiversity of Alberta through stories and essays. Professional Biologist Lorne Fitch's book Streams of Consequence is available for preorder, and will be released on October 17th, 2023.
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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 CPP Environmental.
CPP Environmental is the consulting firm that the Athabasca Watershed Council is working with for a 2-year water quality monitoring project on the Pembina River.
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