Grist - In a first, California cracks down on farms guzzling groundwater
This recent article from Grist sheds light on California's groundbreaking crackdown on farms guzzling groundwater, marking a significant shift in water management policies. With aquifers depleting and environmental concerns escalating, regulators have imposed remarkable fees on water usage in the state's agricultural heartland.
The Globe and Mail - Thin snowpack in mountains of Alberta, B.C. forcing farmers to manage operations carefully this year
Published by The Globe and Mail, this article from Carrie Tait highlights the meticulous challenges confronting farmers in Alberta and British Columbia as they grapple with thin snowpacks in the mountains- leading to diminished water availability for irrigation.
FitchRatings - Costly Ripple Effects of Drought on Canadian Provinces and Utilities
This article, as reported by FitchRatings, highlights the significant financial strain faced by major provincial hydropower utilities across Canada due to prolonged drought conditions. With water levels in rivers and reservoirs consistently below historical averages for several years, the capacity of these utilities to generate power has been significantly reduced.
The Globe and Mail - Globe Climate: Alberta’s drought is testing the limits of its water-licensing regime
Published by the Globe and Mail, this week’s ‘Globe Climate’ newsletter by investigative reporter and data journalist Matthew McClearn, in collaboration with energy reporter Emma Graney from The Globe and Mail, explores Alberta's current drought crisis and the intricacies of water allocation in western North America, and brings together a wide range of other news highlighting pressing climate issues across Canada and the world.
The Globe and Mail - B.C. to provide $80-million to help farmers cope with drought
Published by The Globe and Mail, this article from British Columbia highlights the concerns of farmers like Werner Stump, who face another dry season following unprecedented drought last year. As Vice-President of the BC Cattleman’s Association, Stump emphasizes the pivotal role of water for agriculture, expressing gratitude for the provincial government's $80 million investment to address water management challenges.
The Conversation - Arctic rivers face big changes with a warming climate, permafrost thaw and an accelerating water cycle − the effects will have global consequences
This recent article, published by Michael A. Rawlins and Ambarish Karmalkar on The Conversation, highlights how arctic rivers are undergoing significant transformations due to the warming climate and permafrost thaw, with far-reaching implications for both the Arctic region and the world.
The Tyee - Alberta’s Brutal Water Reckoning
This recent article, published by Andrew Nikiforuk at The Tyee highlights the escalating water crisis in Alberta, driven by climate change-induced droughts and dwindling water resources. With reduced snowpack accumulations, melting glaciers, and critical water shortages across river basins, the province faces severe challenges in maintaining water supply for its residents and industries.
CTV News - Why drought on the prairies is making your steak more expensive
This recent article, highlighted by CTV News, sheds light on the significant impact of consecutive drought years on North America's beef industry, leading to higher retail prices for consumers. Ranchers, faced with depleted grasslands and rising input costs, have been forced to downsize their herds, resulting in a reduction in overall beef production.
The Western Producer - Communities feel pinch as river levels plummet
This recent article featured on The Western Producer highlights the mounting stress that climate change is exerting on Canada’s water resources, and the mounting need for a consistent national approach to addressing water vulnerability. Communities along the South Saskatchewan River are dealing with depleting water levels, which is caused the town of Leader, Saskatchewan to declare a state of emergency because they couldn't get enough water from the river for their town.
The Hill Times - Canadian Drought Monitor reports extreme or severe drought conditions in large areas of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan
“Periodic droughts are a normal occurrence in the semi-arid Prairies. Yet there is a new factor that may makes them both more frequent and more severe: climate change. This has big implications for Canada's potential to feed itself, and to help meet a food-short world in the years ahead. This will require much greater attention to water security, soil health and to sustainable agricultural practices, including regenerative agriculture.”
The Globe and Mail - Loss of snow and impact on water supplies tied to climate change
A new study - highlighted in The Globe and Mail - reveals the impact that climate change has played on snowpack across the Northern Hemisphere, and the accelerating shift toward an increasingly snowless future. The implications for regional hydrology are not uniform across Canada or any other nation (some regions may experience more snowpack, others less), but it is clear that changing snowpack dynamics will certainly result in changes to the overall behaviour of hydrologic systems and exacerbate water resources vulnerability in the coming decades.
Global News - Alberta facing water restrictions, ‘agricultural disaster’ if drought conditions persist
A new article in Global News sounds the warning call for water resources managers in Alberta, which seems set to experience yet another year of unprecedented drought. The article highlights the many knock on effects that limited snowpack over the winter months can cause later in the year. From dwindling potable water supplies and restrictions on acceptable water use in communities, to increasing wildfire risk, crop failure and shrinking cattle herds, our changing climate is wreaking havoc on all aspects of society.
CNN - New maps show where snowfall is disappearing
“Less snow falling from the sky also means less snow piling up into snowpack — a deep, persistent cover of snow that accumulates during the winter. It is crucial for water supplies because it acts like a natural reservoir, storing water as snow during wet times and then releasing it in the form of snowmelt when water is harder to come by, University of Washington environmental engineering professor Jessica Lundquist told CNN.”
CANADIAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Water News Volume 42, No 4 – Fall 2023: Eliminating the unknowns: Canada1Water reveals the country’s water future with a new continental-scale model.
The Canadian Water Resources Association has included a feature article on the Canada1Water project in the latest issue of Water News CWRA's official magazine.
"Few decisions are more crucial to our future than how we manage freshwater resources. Wise choices require a clear understanding of conditions today and how they are likely to change over time. That’s exactly what the Canada1Water project aims to provide by giving Canadian decision-makers an all-new continental-scale model of groundwater, surface water and climate interactions that looks out to the end of this century".
New York Times - A Tangle of Rules to Protect America’s Water Is Falling Short
“AMERICA’S STEWARDSHIP of one of its most precious resources, groundwater, relies on a patchwork of state and local rules so lax and outdated that in many places oversight is all but nonexistent, a New York Times analysis has found.”