River Valley News - Oct 27, 2022

Protection of YEG’s only source of drinking water on Council agenda
The North Saskatchewan River and its watershed are of vital importance to our city as it is Edmonton's only source of drinking water. There are 28,000 square kilometers of land upstream of Edmonton that drain into the North Saskatchewan River watershed.

Our City Council has a significant role in protecting the watershed for Edmontonians as well as communities downstream that are impacted by activities within the city’s municipal boundaries. On November 4, Council’s Utility Committee will discuss a report on the status of the North Saskatchewan River Regional Plan.

A Regional Advisory Council for the North Saskatchewan Region was appointed by Cabinet in 2014 and provided 69 recommendations to the Government of Alberta on the development of the North Saskatchewan River Regional Plan. The Province has been reviewing input on these recommendations since Summer 2018.

This item is follow up to a Utility Committee discussion in August 2021 on the potential impact on our drinking water from four provincially approved coal mining projects. Five percent of the North Saskatchewan watershed upstream of the City of Edmonton is currently held by coal leases, and poses a risk to source water, aquatic ecosystem health, and industrial and agricultural users if development occurs.

If you would like to speak at Utility Committee, register by contacting the City Clerk at city.clerk@edmonton.ca or 780.496.8178. You can read the reports on agenda item 7.2 at https://pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=ee57006d-ac80-4b8e-bc8d-45f99eb031d4&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English&Item=23&Tab=attachments

Learn about labyrinths and walk the Turtle Rock Effigy
Located in Louise McKinney Riverfront Park, east of the Edmonton Convention Centre and south of the main parking lot, you will find the Turtle Rock Effigy. This effigy/labyrinth was created in 2010 by Leah Dorion as part of The Works Art and Design Festival.

You are meant to enter the labyrinth thinking of a problem. As you walk through the labyrinth, the twists and turns will guide you through thought so that when you step out, you will have come to a conclusion. The Turtle Rock Effigy is a marriage of the traditional Indigenous turtle symbol and Celtic labyrinths. Leah Dorion did this to mirror the relationship between Canada’s Indigenous Peoples and European settlers.

Emberwood is hosting a guided labyrinth walk at this location from 4-6pm on November 5. Labyrinths are not mazes, there are no tricks or dead ends. They are meditative walks, used for contemplation, meditation and relaxation. They are great for people who wish to meditate but can’t sit still. Information and registration at https://www.emberwood.ca/solos/labyrinth

Remote cameras monitor wildlife in river valley and ravines
Since 2018 the City of Edmonton and the University of Alberta have worked together to create WildEdmonton, a project that uses remote cameras to monitor wildlife presence and abundance throughout our city. The project is working to identify areas of valuable wildlife habitat so that future planning and development projects will know where animals live and how they move around.

Remote cameras are especially useful for monitoring the presence, location, and abundance of mammals of all sizes, ranging from squirrels to moose. It’s also helpful for cities to know more about where interactions between humans and wildlife are likely to occur so we can take steps to reduce the impact on both.

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and human disturbances threaten wildlife populations and biodiversity on a global scale. Protecting biodiversity in urban areas can be done by making sure we protect natural areas and maintain natural connections that help wildlife move around Edmonton and the surrounding area. More at
https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/environmental_stewardship/wild-edmonton

Big Lake and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Patrick writes “When I was a boy, my Dad and his buddies had a hunting cabin at the southern edge of Big Lake. We used the cabin during duck-hunting season and there were lots of fun family times from spring snowmelt to late fall. Quicksand is a magnet for kids who like to prowl around in the bush. Our patch of quicksand was downslope and northwest of the cabin. I climbed lots of trees. I was a city kid but loved the bush. Ultimately, I became a Forester.

The cabin was located on the corner of a farm field, at the north end of what is now 231st Street. Just east of what’s now Lakeshore Estates. Sometime in the early 60s, an arsonist torched the cabin. With Google Maps, I see there’s still a farm field there.”

Former railway bridge downstream of Hwy 15 bridge.
Comment or contribution
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

Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712

River Valley News - Oct 20, 2022

Help preserve YEG river valley and ravine system via phone photos

Most of us who spend time in Edmonton’s river valley and ravines carry cell phones. If you are interested in helping contribute to a comprehensive data set of plants, birds, wildlife, insects and other forms of nature in our city’s river valley and ravines, please participate in the iNaturalist.ca website and app. It is a great way to learn what species are known, and to submit photos that can become useful scientific data.

The link to iNaturalist records in Edmonton, which has nearly 30,000 photo records of almost 2,600 species is

https://inaturalist.ca/observations?place_id=136028&subview=map By helping document what lives in our river valley and ravines, you will be a citizen scientist contributing to a compelling database of why our ribbon of green must be conserved and preserved for us and future generations.

It is also a neat way to check for records of, say, raccoons in Edmonton, which were recently in the news. There are no photos submitted from within the city limits, but there is a photo taken 3 year ago in nearby Sturgeon County https://inaturalist.ca/observations?place_id=164051&subview=map&taxon_id=41663

Big Lake and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park

Big Lake borders Edmonton, St. Albert, Parkland County and Sturgeon County. The lake sits on the sands and gravels of the Empress Formation, an aquifer 30 meters below its surface that was laid down by retreating glacial meltwaters.

Big Lake is 8 km in length and 3 km at its widest point. At its delta, one of only three bird’s foot deltas found in Alberta, the lake narrows to 100m. The lake is shallow, with depths varying between 0.3 to 4.1m. Banks along the southern shore are steep, directing the lake’s flood waters towards the west, north and east to feed surrounding marshlands during high water years.

On Earth Day 2005, Big Lake became Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park in honour of the former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. The park is recognized as a globally significant important bird area for its abundant and diverse bird populations, especially waterfowl and shorebirds.

Over 235 bird species have been recorded at Big Lake and some 180+ are recorded annually. At risk species that use the lake include Trumpeter Swans, Sprague's Pipits and Peregrine Falcons. More information at http://bless.ab.ca/

Fort Sask Hwy 15 eastbound bridge includes pedestrian crossing

After several years in the works, the Highway 15 eastbound bridge crossing the North Saskatchewan River is open for transit. The project involved the construction of a second bridge crossing the North Saskatchewan River at the southern entrance to the City of Fort Saskatchewan and twinning the remaining two-lane section of Highway 15 towards Edmonton. 

The pedestrian crossing portion of the Highway 15 bridge project is one of 14 initiatives undertaken by the River Valley Alliance. According to Kristine Archibald, RVA Executive Director, its $110-million capital program aims to connect the longest river valley pedestrian trail in North America through the longest river valley park system in North America. 

The RVA initiative was launched 20 years ago to support and promote active and healthy lifestyles, anchor the social, environmental and economic fabric of the region, and stimulate regional community building and revitalization initiatives. More information at https://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/news/highway-15-bridge-is-open-for-transit

City of Edmonton river valley trail maps

The city has a selection of comprehensive, seasonal trail maps to help you enjoy our gorgeous, expansive river valley. The maps highlight the parks, trails, boat launches and attractions in the River Valley from the Anthony Henday Drive in southwest Edmonton to Hermitage Park in northeast Edmonton.

There are central, west and east river valley trail maps you can download, a river valley distance guide and links to river valley dog off leash sites and a bicycle map. The city web site also has a Discover YEG Map, an interactive and mobile friendly map you can use to discover the river valley parks and bike routes citywide. Info at https://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/parks_rivervalley/river-valley-trail-maps

October 13 Issue

Virendra writes “Thank you again for this fascinating information. Because of your efforts, we know more about what is around us.”

Jeanna and Kirsten emailed “We so enjoy your excellent newsletter. Always interesting. Many thanks. Your River Valley neighbours.”

Moth flying like a hummingbird and feeding on my verbena bonsinara in the early evening. Photo by Maureen Elhatton

Comment or contribution

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

Sincerely yours,

Harvey Voogd

North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society

780.691.1712

River Valley News - Oct 13, 2022

New interactive atlas a bird watcher virtual paradise
The Bird Migration Explorer mapping tool, a new online atlas of bird migration, includes interactive, animated maps of the full annual migration for 458 species; more than 4.2 million point-to-point migratory bird connections across the hemisphere; and visualizations for 19 selected Conservation Challenges that migratory birds are exposed to throughout the year across the Americas.

The Bird Migration Explorer mapping tool, available free to the public, is an ongoing collaboration between 11 groups that collect and analyze data on bird movements, including the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds Canada, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

The site will bring together online data from hundreds of scientific studies that use GPS tags to track bird movements, as well as more than 100 years of bird-banding data collected by USGS, community science observations entered into Cornell’s eBird platform, genomic analysis of feathers to pinpoint bird origins, and other data. The Bird Migration Explorer is available at https://explorer.audubon.org/home?threatOverlay=expand&zoom=3&x=1306099.1620122588&y=2810864.562197212

City’s current black knot focus is southwest Edmonton
With over 380,000 trees in the Open Space and Boulevard tree inventory, the City of Edmonton has a four-year pruning cycle for trees impacted by black knot. Pruning takes place between late fall to early spring when tree and spores are dormant, knots are easier to see, and temperatures consistently below zero. Edmonton’s southwest quadrant is the focus of the fall 2022-winter 2023 pruning schedule.

Black knot is caused by the fungus Apiosporina morbosa and attacks various trees and shrubs. It infects trees within the Prunus genus, which includes different types of plum and cherry trees. The fungus has also been known to infect shrubs in the Rose family. The spores spread in warm and wet weather.

It is spread through spores by rain, wind, birds, and insects that have had contact with infected trees. The spores spread in the spring and infect other trees, then in the summer the infection creates green swellings at the tip of the branches. In the following years, these swellings blacken and enlarge.

Black knot is an increasingly common disease. Trees on private property are the owner’s responsibility. When pruning trees in your yard, destroy infected pruning immediately, as they can continue to produce spores for months after being removed. Galls should be sealed in a plastic bag and placed in your black garbage cart for disposal. More information at https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/pests/black-knot

This plant named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis
Wild Blue Flax, Linum lewisii, is a Prairie flax that grows 18-20 inches tall. It rarely stands straight up, but rather leans at an angle. Flowers are pale blue. Each stem produces several flowers, blooming from the bottom upward. The seeds are produced on the lower flowers while those above continue to bloom.

Graceful airy stems covered in blue flowers bloom early summer and repeat blooms more lightly throughout summer. Not long-lived, allow volunteer seedlings to replace the older plants. Mature plants do not like to be transplanted, but small seedlings transplant well.

This plant is a great drought-tolerant species for dry areas. It stays small in the first year of growth but will grow rapidly and bloom in 2nd year. Info at http://eng.snappages.com/native-plants-l

Comment or contribution
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

Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712