Low water level in Edmonton creeks may lead to fish kills
Travis McEwan photo
Whitemud and Blackmud creeks currently have water shortage advisories. These are imposed when stream flows or lake or reservoir levels are lower than normal. That can have an impact on aquatic wildlife, said Mary Ellen Shain, a senior watershed planning coordinator at North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance.
She said low water levels can also mean there are reduced oxygen levels, even before a stream or lake gets seized up by ice. The fish and other creatures in those bodies of water will be using up what oxygen is available to them going into the winter. "If there isn't enough to carry them through the winter, we will end up with fish kills," Shain said.
November has been a drier and warmer month than average, said Terri Lang, a meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, though it did not smash any records. Until this week there had been no precipitation whatsoever recorded at the city centre station at Blatchford and Edmonton airport had recorded just enough precipitation to wet the ground. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/what-low-water-levels-in-edmonton-couldmean-for-fish-this-winter-1.7028203
Ross Acreage in Cloverdale developed after the 1915 flood
The former community of Ross Acreage in Cloverdale developed because of the early industrial development in the area. The 1915 flood ravaged industry in Cloverdale, and as a result the area became a blue-collar residential district.
As Ken Tingley states in "Heart of the City: A History of Cloverdale from Gallagher Flats to Village in the Park", "Unhindered by architectural guidelines and building codes, homes were malleable assets, built in stages, frequently lifted up and moved around, eternal works-in-progress. Building materials were scavenged from the abandoned infrastructure of the preceding industrial era, and local handymen and women recycled it into a hodgepodge of homes of myriad shapes and sizes."
In 1929 the city rezoned Ross Acreage to parkland. People living in the area paid ground rent to the city of $2 per month. In June 1950, the city began work on Connors Hill Road and families living in the affected area of Ross Acreage were given 30 days notice to vacate, with some families given financial assistance to find new homes. By 1956 the rest of the homes in Ross Acreage were demolished, except for one: No. 47 Connors Road.
This little green house with a red roof was built during the First World War. It was purchased by Samuel Rawson in the 1920s. When he died in 1939, his wife Violet and her son Lambert continued to live there. In 1950 when the city was evicting her neighbours, City Engineer A. W. Haddow agreed that she could stay in the home for the rest of her life. She passed away in 1965, and the last home in the Ross Acreage was quietly demolished. https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/ross-acreage
Confusion over snow removal plans for river valley stairs
Warning signs have begun popping up at some river valley stairs within the last two weeks, saying, “Slippery surfaces may exist on this recreational trail. Use at your own risk.” Signs warning of “no winter maintenance” have been placed at 34 staircases in the river valley since the end of October.
The City of Edmonton insists snow removal for outdoor stairs isn’t changing. The signs are new but, according to the city, not keeping these stairs cleared of snow and ice is not. But this is not the entire story. At least seven of the 34 staircases with new signage, in fact, were shoveled routinely by the city each of the last two winters.
The city identified seven new locations, plus two others currently closed because of construction, that would no longer be maintained this year because they do not connect to a paved pathway or are made of granular material that can’t be maintained in winter.
These nine staircases are located at Saskatchewan Drive and 74 Avenue, the southeastern edge of Hawrelak Park, Saskatchewan Drive NW west of 7833 Saskatchewan Dr., near 13854 Ravine Dr. NW, southwest of 62 St. Georges Cres. NW, 93A Avenue and 98 Street, Kennedale Bridge, Hermitage Ravine, and Ada Boulevard.
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Best Fronds by Stephanie Jonsson, Muttart LRT stop.
https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/best-fronds
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Please note that articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the wide variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley. Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com