2016 Branch Conference
CWRA Alberta Branch Annual Conference 2016
Groundwater and Surface Water Management: Interactions, Challenges and Opportunities
April 3-5, 2016
Edmonton, Alberta
We had around 120 attendees, and by all accounts the conference was a huge success! The organizing committee would like to thank all of the sponsors and exhibitors that help make this conference a success.
Conference Description
Our water resources have historically managed surface water and groundwater as distinct components. However, as water resources professionals we know that approach is often an over-simplification. The need to consider the interaction of surface water and groundwater is becoming more important as we intensify land development and natural resource extraction. Ignoring these interrelations may have unintended or harmful consequences in the quantity and quality of our waters.
Conference Program and Presentations
The conference presentations are available here.
Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors
CWRA would like to thank the following Sponsors and Exhibitors for making the conference a success!
Sponsors
Silver Level
Bronze Level
Exhibitors
Campbell Scientific
Conference Presentations
| Sunday April 3 | ||
| Start Time | Description | |
| 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM | Pre-Conference Workshop Stormwater Modelling using PCSWMM / EPA SWMM5 with Groundwater Routine |
|
| 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Tour of the Edmonton Valley Zoo Organized by the Edmonton SYP Group |
|
| 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM | Registration and Meet & Greet | |
| Monday April 4 | ||
| 7:30 | Registration and continental breakfast | |
| 8:30 | Welcome | |
| 8:45 | Keynote Speaker“Flowing fast and slow” – Young and old water in rivers and groundwaters
Scott Jasechko – University of Calgary |
|
| 9:45 | Break | |
| Morning session 1A – Understanding regional groundwater and surface water interactions | Morning session 1B – Agricultural practices and surface water and groundwater quality | |
| 10:00 | Providing geoscience to enable a better understanding of groundwater and surface water interaction in AlbertaBrian Smerdon, Alberta Geological Survey | Potential effects of earthen manure storage lagoons on the groundwater quality in central AlbertaJacqueline Kohn, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry |
| 10:40 | Waterton Dam and surcharged aquifer management challengesSean Douglas, Alberta Environment and Parks | Investigation of the impact of irrigation returns on river water qualityJanelle Villeneuve, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry |
| 11:20 | Natural discharge and its role in Athabasca River quality: resolving complex systemsJon Fennell, Integrated Sustainability Consultants Ltd. | Evaluation of nutrient beneficial management practices in agricultural watershedsBarry Olson, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry |
| 12:00 | Networking lunch | |
| Afternoon session 2A – Understanding water levels in Alberta’s lakes | Afternoon session 2B – Technologies for finding aquifers, and modelling irrigated agriculture | |
| 1:30 | A water balance study of skeleton lake, AlbertaMichael Seneka, Alberta Environment and Parks | Using Quantum Direct Matter Indicator Technologies (DMI) to find fresh water aquifers Richard Hatala and Gerry Gurba, Integrative Technologies International Inc. (ITI) and Ron Wey, ITI and Finding Water for the World |
| 2:10 | Development of generic shapes of Alberta lakes to support water policy development Zahidul Islam, Alberta Environment and Parks | Modelling the irrigated agriculture sector of southern Alberta using system dynamicsMohamed Ammar, University of Alberta |
| 2:50 | Break | |
| Afternoon session 3A – Modelling for improved stormwater management | Afternoon session 3B – Approaches to regional water resources management | |
| 3:00 | Discharge improvement zone study – modelling pollutants in stormwater Brandyn Coates and Manas Shome, Matrix Solutions Inc. | Doing it the “Dutch way”?: Perceptions of adapting the Room for the River approach in Alberta’s flood managementEva Bogdan, University of Alberta |
| 3:40 | Application of One Dimensional (1D) and Two Dimensional (2D) Coupled Numerical Models in Storm water managementAkinbola George, Associated Engineering | The role of environmental governance networks in Alberta’s regional-scale integrated resource management systemJudy Stewart, Lawyer |
| 4:20 | Break | |
| 4:30 | CWRA AGM | |
| 5:30 | Cocktails | |
| 6:00 | Dinner | |
| Tuesday April 5 | ||
| 7:30 | Continental Breakfast | |
| 8:30 | Welcome | |
| 8:35 | Keynote SpeakerWetlands, Water, and Integrated Resource Management: A Shifting Landscape in Alberta
Thorsten Hebben, |
|
| 9:20 | Alberta Wetland Policy tools for wetland assessment, mitigation and replacement Matthew Wilson, M.Sc., P.Biol. Wetland Mitigation and Replacement Specialist, Alberta Environment and Parks |
|
| 10:00 | Break | |
| 10:20 | Wetland policy implementation – a practitioner’s perspective Tracy Scott, Head – Industry and Government Relations – Alberta, Ducks Unlimited Canada | |
| 11:00 | Exploring opportunities within the Alberta Wetland Policy Marissa Koop, Stantec Consulting Ltd. | |
| 11:40 | Lunch | |
| Afternoon Session 4A – Managing natural and constructed wetlands | Afternoon Session 4B – Understanding and managing wetlands and stormponds | |
| 1:00 | Measures of progress and how to determine whether constructed wetlands are naturalizing over time Amy McLenaghan, Tetra Tech EBA | Design of pervious water management environments Bernie Arnell, Source2Source Inc. |
| 1:40 | Reclaiming peatlands & understanding the role of water interactions Kevin Kemball, Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. | Adaptive management plans for urban wetlands Carly Silver, Stantec Consulting Ltd. |
| 2:20 | Mitigating water supply losses in natural wetlands within the Cornerstone Communities Rick Carnduff, Stantec Consulting Ltd. | Hydrodynamic modelling of an Edmonton stormwater pond Mahyar Mehdizadeh, University of Alberta |
| 3:00 | Break | |
| 3:15 | Evaluating water supply reliability from lakes using the water resources management model Graham Waugh | |
| 3:55 | Assessing cumulative effects of SAGD operations with a fully integrated model Dirk Kassenaar, Earthfx Inc. | |
| 4:35 | End of Conference | |
