Author: Shannon Smithwick

Flood Mitigation: Diversion Channel

Flood External Resources Presentations and Minutes from the BRBC Quarterly Forum on Flood Mitigation South Saskatchewan River Basin Snow Data What is a diversion channel? Diversion channels or floodways are […]

Climate in Alberta

Alberta, as the fourth largest province in Canada, has a land area of 640,330 square kilometers [1]. It is located between 49°N to 60°N and 110°E to 120°E [2]. The […]

Flood Mitigation: Ecosystem Management

Flood External Resources Presentations and Minutes from the BRBC Quarterly Forum on Flood Mitigation South Saskatchewan River Basin Snow Data What is ecosystem management? Ecosystem management is an integrated approach […]

Drought in the 20th Century

Drought The Wheat Boom Drought in 20th Century Alberta Despite the drought in 1885 – 1896, settlement continued across the Prairies into the 1920s. Although the early years of the […]

Flood Mitigation: Berms

Flood There are a variety of different terms for a raised structure that acts as a barrier between two areas. The terms berm, dike (or dyke), and levee are often […]

Dilution

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Substances Influences Concerns & Misconceptions Also known as watering down, decreasing the concentration, a component of assimilative capacity.  What is it? For […]

Impacts of Drought

Drought Drought can have a wide range of impacts on the environment, the economy and on society. Drought becomes most obvious to us when we feel its impacts and consequences, […]

Social Impacts of Drought

Drought Drought can affect human health Drought becomes most apparent when it impacts our daily lives. The social impacts of drought in Canada are usually indirect. That is, they are […]

Agriculture’s Water Future

Water stewardship in an agricultural supply chain: pilot project identifies benefits and challenges From March 2021 to March 2023, a pilot project in the Oldman River Watershed was conducted to […]

The Economics of Alberta Irrigation

Overview Alberta’s irrigation districts, situated within the South Saskatchewan River Basin, represent the most diversified and intensive irrigation development in Alberta. Over 83% (560,520 hectares) of Alberta’s irrigated land is […]

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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.