Urban Impacts on Water in Alberta

Urban growth has huge impacts on nearby water ecosystems. Creeks and wetlands are destroyed and paved over. Chemical and fuel spills wash into storm sewers and directly into waterways. Sewer discharges cause algae growth and lower oxygen levels, and of course large amounts of water are used by city residents.

University of Alberta Research

Lost creeks and wetlands of Edmonton Kathryn Martell and Henry Dammeyer completed this bioregional mapping project in 2001. Using archival maps, historical accounts, and air photos from 1924, they mapped creeks and wetlands that have been lost - drained, culverted, or paved over - as the city of Edmonton has grown.