November Newsletter

Newsletter - November 15, 2023

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TOPICS INCLUDE:

The Urban Heat Island Effect
Clean, Drain, Dry in the Winter
Aquatic Species at Risk
Education - Caring for our Watersheds
November Employee Recognition!

NEWSLETTER

November - 2023

The Urban Heat Island Effect

and Green Roof Technology

Have you been to a city lately where you have seen plants growing on the roof of buildings? Or maybe even a small grassland ecosystem? Green technology has been around for a long time – solar panels, wind turbines, recycling…. But some cities are bringing green technology, to a higher level – green roofs. Green roofs address the Urban Heat Island Effect and air pollution.

The Urban Heat Island Effect is where areas in an urban setting experience higher temperatures than outlying areas. Buildings and roads, for example, absorb and re-emit the heat from the sun more than natural landscapes do. In cities, especially, where there is a high concentration of buildings and roads, and few green areas, an “island” of higher temperatures forms.

These heat islands impact communities in a variety of ways. With increased heat, of course, comes increased energy costs and consumption. Within these islands, there is a greater demand for air conditioning. With an increase in energy consumption, there is also an increase in air pollution and greenhouse gases, which affect the quality of air we breath, and contributes to global climate change. Finally, an increase in heat from heat islands, can cause heat-related health concerns and exacerbated heat waves.

What is the solution? Dr. Paul S. Mankiewicz and his team at Leaf Island in New York have been working across the United States and the world with city planners and building owners to help reduce the effects of Urban Heat Islands through Green Technologies, and Green Roofs.

Green roofs provide shade, which removes heat from the air, and reduces the temperature of the roof surface and surrounding air – cooling down, or even removing – heat islands. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Green roof temperatures and be 30 - 40°F cooler (17 – 20°C) (epa.gov/heatislands). This means that energy use decreases as well.

There are other benefits to green roofs as well. Air quality and human health and comfort increase as a result of the shade, aesthetics and lower energy consumption. The vegetation, soil and other layers that make up a green roof help in slowing and filtering rain water. Lastly, green roofs provide habitat for birds and insects.

Join us at our 15^th Annual SAW conference, where Dr. Mankiewicz will share with us his knowledge and experience with Green Technology – specifically green roofs. More information about the conference will be coming soon!

SAW, with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), is continuing to develop watershed-based climate change adaptation plans for Saskatchewan. SAW has held 3 engagement meetings in the Northwest watershed district. The next community engagement meeting in the northwest will be announced soon. Planning for the Northeast watershed district has started. A meeting date and location will be announced soon and promoted on SAW’s social media platforms. If you are interested in attending a meeting in the Northeast watershed district, please contact Samantha at ccap@saskwatersheds.ca.

Aquatic Invasive Species Will Spread During the Winter!

We often relate Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and their prevention, to the lazy days of summer. However, if you enjoy ice-fishing, you should be familiar with AIS prevention as well. After all, most invasive species do so well because they can outcompete native species and survive in some of the worst conditions.

The Spiny Water Flea, for example, has eggs that can survive freezing temperatures. They remain dormant until water temperatures rise above 4°C. They can also survive within a fish’s stomach. Curly-leaved pondweed and Eurasian Milfoil remain hardy under the ice and can form into dense patches, ready to grow first thing in the spring – before native species begin to grow. Zebra and Quagga mussels don’t fare as well in below-freezing water temperatures, nevertheless, colonization is discouraged, not eradicated in these conditions. Prussian Carp will survive the cold temperatures as well.

What can you do to prevent the spread of AIS? The same practices done in the summer! Be sure to inspect, drain and dry all gear – boots, pails, fishing lines, lures, ice augers, snowmobiles – any equipment you are using. Never move live fish away from a waterbody – if the fish is out of water, it’s a dead fish! Be sure to remove any plant or animal parts from equipment as well, and be sure to dispose of unused bait in the garbage, not on the ice!

Information on AIS Prevention

Information on Cleaning Your Gear

Aquatic Species at Risk

Last month we introduced our readers to three species of fish that are on the list of Species at Risk – the Plains Minnow, Bigmouth Buffalo and Mountain Sucker (Milk River Population). These three species are found within Saskatchewan and have several factors threatening their populations.

The Bigmouth Buffalo, found in the Qu’Appelle River Basin, has faced a decrease in the amount of and quality of spawning habitat. In general, this is a result of changes in available habitat throughout the Qu’Appelle River Basin. Bigmouth Buffalo prefer to live in larger rivers, but also slower water courses that are warmer. Spawning habitat of the Bigmouth Buffalo is in shallow, flooded terrestrial vegetation within bays, small tributary streams, and marshy areas. Due to changes in available habitat, the frequency of flooding and the amount of time the banks are flooded, and because of human activity, the quality of habitat has decreased over time.

Mountain Suckers live in cool waters of higher gradient reaches of small rivers with a moderate current and a gravel/cobble bottom. The expansion of agriculture, commercial and industrial land use and water extraction has resulted in a decrease of the amount and quality of habitat for the Mountain Sucker. This, along with other causes, such as aquatic invasive species, have caused the decline within the Mountain Sucker populations in the Milk River Watershed.

The Plains Minnow is found only in southern Saskatchewan in a few small creeks, including Rock Creek. Although this species was discovered to be living in Saskatchewan only 20 years ago, across its global range, the threats to this species are caused by fragmentation of rivers by dams, and the changes that occur from the dams. With projected increase and frequency of extreme weather throughout the Canadian Prairies, the threats to habitat will be increased by droughts, flooding, and intense temperature events. Plains minnows require areas of moderate current for spawning. Their eggs are semi-buoyant and need long reaches of river habitat to develop.

For all three species, habitat quality and quantity can be positively affected by changing a few practices. Allowing vegetation to grow along and within streams and rivers can allow for shading and a subsequent decrease in water temperatures. Vegetation also allows runoff to be filtered, decreasing the number of pollutants entering the water system. Fencing off riparian areas and adding watering systems away from shorelines is also a great method to allow an increase in vegetation growth.

The Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) has been working with producers over the years to create plans that improve riparian health. Programs delivered by SAW and other organizations in Saskatchewan change year after year. Please visit our website to see available programs that would benefit fish species at risk and farm and ranch operations in Saskatchewan.

For more information on aquatic species at risk, visit

https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/sara-lep/identify-eng.html?province=Saskatchewan#speciesTable

For more information click here

Caring For Our Watersheds: Student-Led Solutions

Caring For Our Watersheds, funded by Nutrien, is a provincial-wide educational program that engages students in preserving and improving their local watersheds through student-led solutions.Students in grades 7-12 that are looking to make a positive impact on their local watershed can take part. Students are asked to submit a grant-style proposal identifying one solution that addresses a concern they see in their local watershed. Entries must be submitted online by March 8^th, 2024. The top 10 entries will move on to a final competition where finalists will pitch their idea to a panel of judges to win prizes for their team and a matching cash prize for their school or club. First place prize is $1000 for the team and $1000 for the school/club! The in-person event will take place on May 11^th, 2024. Implementation funding is also available to all realistic entries to make students’ ideas a reality. For more information, reach out to Stephanie Huel at education@saskwatersheds.ca or visit the Caring For Our Watersheds website. Let's work together to make a difference in our environment.

Click Here for More Information

November Employee Recognition!

Annette is a friendly person to work with and has been a great help with PWCP applications. Annette has shown her team player mentality, by helping with her coworker’s applications, helping them balance their workload, allowing room to succeed.

She contacts producers right away and has applications completed and submitted promptly. Annette always goes above to offer the best service to her producers; she is knowledgeable about the program and the BMPs and is helpful in planning events. She was previously on the Nitrogen Management event planning team last year and is now on the Cover Crop workshop planning team and provides valuable input on these committees.