Livestock Management
There is a lot that scientists don’t know about ground water. In Alberta, much of the ground water information that scientists rely on comes from the Alberta Research Council’s (ARC) mapping programs of the 1960s and 1970s. “We really haven’t moved that far from the ’60s,” said Alec Blyth, a research hydrogeologist with the council’s […] Read more
Livestock Management
Yes, it’s in the ground, but it doesn’t stay there
Biofuel may have bad rap as water user
Biofuel production is having a profound impact on water demand, according to a United Nations report. “Despite their potential to help reduce dependence on fossil energy, biofuels with current technology are likely to place a disproportionate amount of pressure on biodiversity and the environment,” says the UN’s World Water Development Report 3. “The major problem […] Read more
Effluent water proves useful for farm irrigation
Rick Swenson doesn’t turn off his irrigation pivot when the wind blows and the temperature soars. He cranks it up and keeps the water pumping. He’s irrigating his crops and acting as a disposal system for the City of Moose Jaw’s waste water treatment facilities. “There’s no drip nozzles around here,” the Saskatchewan farmer said. […] Read more
Average home uses 329 litres per day
Canadians use a lot of water. Environment Canada says the average Canadian household used 329 litres of water a day in 2004, compared to the European average of 200 litres per day and 10 to 20 litres per day in sub-Saharan Africa. It seems Canadians have something to learn about water conservation. Three families in […] Read more
Managing water that falls from the sky
Cloud seeding is a growing industry around the world, aimed at harvesting rain and snow. In Canada, however, the emphasis has been more on softening the blow inflicted by hailstorms. Cloud seeding is a way of modifying weather by attempting to draw more moisture out of rain clouds, or change the precipitation that falls. It […] Read more
Measuring tools: probes, meters and pillows
It’s easy to look out the window and conclude that four inches of snow fell overnight, but accurately measuring snow depth is challenging, says Alf Warkentin, director of flood forecasting for Manitoba Water Stewardship. “It’s never as accurate as we’d like it to be. The snow is very difficult to measure.… You can do a […] Read more
Gardiner dam tops the list
Spring thaw isn’t on the minds of most Canadians yet, but water forecasters have been thinking about melting snow for months. “Nov. 1 is called the start of the new water year because basically any precipitation that falls, for the most part, from (November) on in is going to be snow and won’t show up […] Read more
Water allocation likely to involve tradeoffs
Alberta has a good water management foundation, but enhancements are needed to ensure the province can handle future growth demands. Those are the conclusions of a recent report presented to the provincial environment minister and released in November on long-term water sustainability and allocation of Alberta’s water. Two other reports from the Alberta Water Council […] Read more
Irrigation allows production of 40 crops
The first homesteaders to settle in what is now southern Alberta realized that irrigation would make the difference to their survival. By the late 19th century, private groups were building canals and water delivery systems, and in 1910 the Canadian Pacific Railway embarked on two projects south of Calgary called the Eastern Block and the […] Read more
A water pipeline from here to Texas
Dan Klymchuk wants to capture water as it pours into the ocean and then pump it back up over the centre of North America all the way to Texas. It might sound crazy, but the researcher says what’s crazy is allowing trillions of litres of fresh water to pour into the ocean while other parts […] Read more
