Digital Basin Quick Start
Over the past 20 years, almost 3% of the land within watersheds that provide drinking water to Basin-Boundary municipalities has been logged. Logging activities are associated with road building, which leads to greater public access, as well as the potential for increased erosion and sedimentation, all of which could lead to degraded drinking water quality. Many residents in … [More]
Majority of Water Quality Monitoring Sites Deemed “Potentially Stressed”
January 15, 2014
Data from eight community-led water quality monitoring programs in the Basin-Boundary region indicate that the majority of the 35 sites monitored are “potentially stressed” as a result of human activities. Many communities in the Basin-Boundary region are concerned about water quality in the lakes and rivers that provide water for drinking, irrigation, and recreation, among … [More]
Our Glaciers Have Retreated by 14% Since 1985
October 19, 2013
On average, the extent of glaciers in our region dropped 14% over the period 1985-2005. That’s an average rate of change of 0.7% per year. The trend for this region is more pronounced than the average for Western Canada—11% over the entire study period, or 0.6% per year. The rate of glacial melt is higher in certain parts of the region. Glaciers in the south are receding the … [More]
Residents May Underestimate the Threat of Wildfire
April 18, 2013
The ten year moving average shows that the area burned per year has changed little since provincial fire suppression efforts began in earnest following World War II (figure 54). An analysis of historic fires shows that, since 1919, of the 28 communities found in our region, 24 have had a large wildfire (at least 5 hectares) come within 2 km of their municipal … [More]
Basin-Boundary Agricultural Planning: The Regional Perspective