Alberta's water threatened by invasive species

Boaters need to do their part to help, Mark Poesch writes.

On Wednesday, the Province of Alberta announced that it is escalating fines for failing to stop at watercraft inspection sites from $324 to $4,200, coinciding with a significant water infrastructure crisis in northwest Calgary. These seemingly disparate events actually share a common thread: the threat posed by aquatic invasive species. Let me explain.

Watercraft inspections aim to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species into Alberta's waters, particularly zebra and quagga mussels, notorious for clogging water intake pipes and causing substantial economic losses. As described in the announcement, the estimated annual cost of zebra mussels in Lake Mcgregor in southern Alberta alone is a staggering $324 million.

That is $324 million per year, largely due to costs related to maintenance and replacement of water infrastructure in a single location. If current news hasn't done so already, this should underscore the vulnerability of Alberta's already fragile water infrastructure and related economic activity, including ties to drinking water, agriculture and other industrial needs.

It's imperative for watercraft owners to diligently clean, drain, and dry their boats.

There exists a significant and ongoing threat to our water infrastructure — one that hasn't received the attention it deserves. Another aquatic invasive species, Prussian carp, is already established throughout Alberta, and can cause serious drinking water issues.

These carp reproduce asexually, multiplying rapidly and posing significant ecological risks, including nutrient enrichment leading to harmful algal blooms.

Harmful algal blooms result in the release of cyanotoxins, which, at medium to high levels, exceed the capacity of water treatment facilities to manage and can have adverse effects on human health.

Instances like Toledo, Ohio's recent drinking water advisory due to cyanobacteria levels highlight the potential severity of these threats. During such events, residents weren't merely advised to boil tap water; they were issued a bottled water advisory, urging them to avoid tap water entirely.

Prussian carp are located throughout Alberta, including in irrigation canals, in drinking water reservoirs and stormwater ponds in Calgary and Edmonton, which are being used for a variety of tasks such as drinking water, agriculture and other water reuse activities. The risk posed by this particular aquatic invasive species — as well as the potential for others— to human health is current and real.

Given recent events in Calgary, the fragility of Alberta's water infrastructure should be obvious and the changes in fines for watercraft inspections seem laudable. However, it is important that the focus is not just on the water main break or mussels, but the current and future risks posed by all aquatic invasive species.

It's imperative for watercraft owners to diligently clean, drain, and dry their boats and equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Additionally, citizens must refrain from releasing or relocating species like goldfish and Prussian carp. Calls for enhanced monitoring, eradication efforts and water quality analysis of key water resources are necessary to safeguard Alberta's water supply.

In essence, the convergence of increased fines for watercraft negligence and the water infrastructure crisis underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to combat all aquatic invasive species and protect Alberta's vital water systems.