If you follow us on social media or are subscribed to our newsletter you know that we provide recommended reading to stay abreast of news relevant to water in Alberta (you can sign up for our newletter here).

However, sometimes we come across interesting videos, opinion pieces, reports and miscellaneous web content that fall outside the scope of our normal newsletter content. In order to share more of this information with our readers, we have decided to start a new monthly (or bi-monthly) roundup series on The Bog

If you have any content you would like included in the Roundup please contact us. Happy reading! 

Tangle Falls  
TangleFalls.jpg” by JD Hascup is licenced under CC BY 2.0.   

Opinions

Note: these pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Alberta WaterPortal.

 

Robinson: Springbank dry dam would be a big mistake

Ryan Robinson, Springbank landowner and cofounder of DontDamnSpringbank.com, shares his opinions on the proposed Springbank dry dam. …Click here to continue reading

 

Opinion: We need a national strategy for water 

Francis Scarpaleggia, a Liberal Member of Parliament, outlines the reasons why a National Water Strategy is needed in Canada. Although this piece may not agree with everyone’s unique politics it is a good jumping off point for discussion on what a National Water Strategy could look like in our Country. …Click here to continue reading.  

 

Opinion: Famous wetland in Beaverhills Lake now a sea of thistles 

What has caused Beaverhills Lake to dry up? Dr. Dick Drekker has some ideas and they primarily relate back to water management in the North. …Click here to continue reading. 

 

Other Stories 

 

60-million-year-old fish fossils found in Calgary 

…Click here to continue reading  

 

[Video] CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe explains connection between dry Prairies, U.S. flooding

…Click here to continue reading. 

 

Boston plagued by lingering snow piles that have turned into frozen garbage mountains

…Click here to continue reading.  

 

Working with nature on a country-residential enclave north of Calgary 

…Click here to continue reading.  

 

The water wars begin in parched California, as the rich fight drought restrictions: ‘We’re not all equal when it comes to water’

…Click here to continue reading.

 

Baby beavers born to England’s first wild colony

…Click here to continue reading. 

 

A Water-Friendly Design From the Young Architect Newly Anointed by MoMA PS1

…Click here to continue reading. 

 

Web Content 

In cooperation with Alberta Health Services, swimmersitch.ca are working to provide updated and detailed information on swimmer’s itch outbreaks for visitors and residents of Alberta and across Canada. 

 

The WID just released their quarterly newsletter. This installment features articles on the Langdon Reservoir expansion, invasive species and information on CoCoRaHS. Click here to download the newsletter. 

 

Reports and Publications

POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and Ecojustice recently released the report California’s Oranges and B.C.’s Apples? Lessons for B.C. from California Groundwater Reform. You can read the full report here

 

The Red Deer River Watershed Alliance and Alberta Ecotrust have partnered to launch a ‘social innovation lab’ in central Alberta. Dubbed Project Blue Thumb: Action on Water Quality Issues, the lab brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to tackle the question ‘How can we work together to maintain or improve surface and groundwater quality in the Red Deer River Watershed?’ Click here to read more.    

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.

Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market.   With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry. 

Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector. 

He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency. 

Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field. 

Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation.   As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.