About half of Calgary's water comes from the Elbow River watershed.
Impact of clear-cutting on Calgary's water supply:
- Following clear-cuts, nutrients and soil wash into water bodies.
- high nutrients increase risk of algal blooms (Glenmore Reservoir)
- siltation complicates downstream treatment of water.
- following clear-cuts, runoff from rainstorms quickly enters rivers.
- the cost of filtration could outweigh the revenue from logging
- increases the likelihood of downstream flooding
New York city and Vancouver were able to ensure the quality and quantity of their water while gaining significant cost reduction by investing in the preservation of their watersheds.
The provincial "Water For Life" strategy identified a serious concern over our water supply. CROWPAC is concerned that extensive logging, with its uncertain to negative impacts on water supply, is being approved by SRD while a moratorium has been placed on new water licenses.
A number of groups have formed to advocate for environmental issues in the face of an apparent lack of concern by government and unbridled industrial development. The Natural Capital Association and the Alberta Environmental Stewardship Coalition assign value to nature and then use that value to calculate things like the cost of resource development. They are forming a coalition to encourage government to recognize that a majority of Albertans place a high value on our "natural heritage".
Forty-two percent of Kananaskis is not protected. It is an industrial development zone.
There are about 100 gas wells and 70 km of pipeline in the Elbow Valley. Toxic chemicals spew out of flare stacks. Poisonous sour gas flows through pipelines beside recreational trails.
This kind of looks like some kind of disease, but it is actually a satellite photo from Google showing Spray Lakes Sawmills logging operation in the foothills west of Sundre, Alberta. All those biege coloured blobs are clearcuts.