Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
High water temperatures and declining levels in several central Newfoundland rivers have prompted the federal fisheries regulator to impose restrictions on salmon harvesting in the region. Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Wednesday that the Exploits, Leamington and Western Arm rivers, as well as Peter's River and Charles Brook in the Bay of Exploits, will be closed to salmon anglers outside the morning hours.
Beachgoers in the Ottawa region have hardly had to avoid the water this summer after weeks of E. coli testing showing low levels in the city's monitored beaches. Katy Alambo, a biologist with Ottawa Riverkeeper, says that while it's difficult to predict a trend from summer to summer, this season is shaping up to be much better than last. "So far, so good. The majority of the beaches have been testing really well," Alambo said.
Public Services and Procurement Canada wishes to advise the public of a low water notice for Lake Nipissing. We have observed the levels on Lake Nipissing to be slightly below our typical summer operating range. The low levels on the lake are due to consecutive months of below-average rainfall. With little precipitation in the short-term forecast, we anticipate levels to continue to slowly decline on the lake until the watershed receives significant rainfall. Water levels on the French River are expected to remain relatively stable as the river dams continue to pass near minimum outflows.
