WC128 JanFeb2023 - Magazine - Page 7
New categories for
Water Canada awards
News photos: Getty Images, Red River: Getty Image
AFTER 13 YEARS of recognizing the people, projects, and technologies that have
made significant contributions to Canada’s
water industry, Water Canada magazine
has announced a refresh to its 2023 awards
program.
“The water sector is evolving to address
the immediate challenges presented by
climate change,” said Corinne Lynds,
Content Director at Water Canada magazine.
“We are refreshing the awards categories
to stay reflective of the focus, concerns,
and notable achievements of the Water
Canada community.”
The 2023 Water Canada Awards
(previously Water’s Next Awards) Gala will
take place June 8 in Ottawa as part of
the Water Canada Summit (previously known
as the Canadian Water Summit). The Summit
is partnering with the Canadian Water and
Wastewater Association’s Window on Water.
A call for nominations is out now
for projects, products, and people that
exemplify the best of the best in Canada’s
water sector.
The Red river with Winnipeg in the back ground, during autumn.
Red River basin monitoring
TO CONTINUE IMPROVING water quality in the
Red River basin, including downstream in Lake
Winnipeg, the governments of Canada and the
United States have approved four additional water
quality objectives to be monitored by the International Red River Watershed Board (IRRWB)
following a recommendation by the International Joint Commission (IJC). These additional,
non-regulatory water quality objectives are for
the key nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen.
Excessive nutrients such as phosphorus and
nitrogen increase the frequency and severity of
algal blooms, one of the biggest water quality
challenges facing the Red River watershed and
Lake Winnipeg.
The Red River travels north from its headwaters in Minnesota and South Dakota, across the
international boundary and flows downstream
into Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.
Establishing objectives and targets for
phosphorus and nitrogen levels and loads in the
Red River, along with the other water quality
objectives, allows the IRRWB to identify changes
in water quality trends over time; essential information to improve water quality and reduce the
occurrence of harmful algal blooms in the basin.
Following work by federal, state, and provincial
agencies, significant collaboration through the
IRRWB and a number of IJC-funded studies which
suggested a significant portion of those nutrients
entering Lake Winnipeg come from the Red River,
the IJC made (in May 2020) the recommendation
to governments that they approve these additional
nutrients objectives and targets.
MORE NEWS
AND UPDATES AT
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WATER C AN ADA • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2023
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