Grant: Alliance Grants

The federal government of Canada developed the Clean Electricity Regulations as a major step in the fight against climate change. This federal framework requires elimination of electricity production using coal-fueled power plants over a short time frame. In the province of Saskatchewan, coal-fueled electricity has been a mainstay since the 1950s; in some areas the landscape has been altered by strip mining, and entire waterways have been restructured for industrial cooling water use. Over many decades, the waterbodies dedicated to providing and receiving once-through cooling water from coal power stations have evolved unique and highly-valued ecosystems. Warm effluent from power plants has enabled the development of excellent recreational fisheries in reservoirs, including establishment of a warm-water species found nowhere else in Saskatchewan (largemouth bass), and some of the fastest growing native fish populations (e.g., walleye) in the province. In addition, these reservoirs have become important areas for wildlife, including reptiles, amphibians, and waterbirds. Not surprisingly, cooling water reservoirs have become extremely popular recreation sites for people. Correspondingly, there is great concern about the future of cooling water reservoirs as the energy industry changes. This project with SaskPower has two major over-arching objectives: (1) to understand how current water usage influences aquatic biota in waterbodies associated with coal-fueled power plants; and (2) to develop a science-based approach to management of water use that will help SaskPower adapt to upcoming changes in the energy industry. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a framework for making changes to the energy industry that achieve the desired reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), but also help ease the transition to new approaches in other aspects (adaptation).