Province wants input on North Saskatchewan River water
Alberta’s minister of environment and parks, Jason Nixon, wants public input into a new framework for the North Saskatchewan River. The river is a critical natural resource serving many Alberta communities, as well as those at the Saskatchewan border and beyond. “Its clean and reliable flows are the source of drinking water for well over one million Albertans,” said Nixon.
The North Saskatchewan offers a healthy aquatic ecosystem, that is home to more than 25 fish species, which is almost half of all the native fish species in Alberta. Part of a larger regulatory system, Nixon says the framework will help manage development activity and protect water quality. You can give your feedback until September 17 at https://www.alberta.ca/north-saskatchewan-region-surface-water-quality-management-engagement.aspx
Native flowers can beat the heat
During this heat wave have you been fretting about your plants? Native plants do not need much in the way of care because they have evolved to manage our extreme climate. They are also good for local wildlife which has evolved side-by-side with native plants to develop mutually beneficial relationships.
Here is a list of 10 plants native to the greater Edmonton area, as well as a radio interview with CBC Edmonton's summer garden columnist Tanara McLean https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/native-flowers-can-beat-the-heat-in-your-edmonton-area-garden-1.6088610
Fishing in the river valley
Fly fishing expert Philip Rowley says there is lots of fishing opportunities in Edmonton on the North Saskatchewan, which he says is "very underutilized, and has lots of shoreline access spots along the bridges that cross it."
"I call it box of chocolates fishing because there's walleye, pike, sauger, which is like a smaller walleye a little more with some different markings on it. You've got goldeye, mooneye, you've even got lake Sturgeon.”
Health Canada sets fish consumption guidelines based on the concentration of mercury in fish tissue and the human body's ability to eliminate mercury at a slow rate. The mercury in many areas of the province, including the North Saskatchewan River, is likely from natural sources.
You should not eat fish from the North Saskatchewan River more than once a week, and do not eat the liver or other organs. Pregnant women, women of child-bearing age, and children under the age of 15 should not consume the fish at all. More information at https://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/parks_rivervalley/fishing
Noxious Weeds
Kevin says “Further to your comment about the city not referring to noxious weeds, when you click on the link you provided for the top 10 weeds and then click on any of the individual weeds you will see the provincial designation of noxious or prohibited noxious as per the Alberta Weed Control Act which is incorrectly hyperlinked and leads to a dead end.
The correct links to find noxious weeds are:
Provincially regulated weeds https://www.alberta.ca/provincially-regulated-weeds.aspx
Weed control act https://open.alberta.ca/publications/w05p1 “
Photo by Lu Carbyn
River valley concern or contribution
If you have a river valley concern or question, contact us at nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Your friends and neighbours can sign up for this newsletter on our web site.
If you have a photo, information, or event about Edmonton’s river valley and think it should be in this newsletter, email it to us.
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712