Monthly Archives: May 2015

Dr Cherie Westbrook Leads New U of S CREATE Program in Water Security

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CH member Dr Cherie Westbrook is the project leader for a new water security training program, established at the U. of S. through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) scheme. The aim of the initiative is to provide a multi-disciplinary grounding for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in issues such as water resources, floods, drought and water quality.

The program will receive $1.65 million of NSERC funding over the next six years, and over $2.8 Million from the U. of S., the University of Waterloo, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, and McMaster University, and from industrial collaborators.

More information is available here.

Opportunity for a Hydrology Research Officer

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The University of Saskatchewan Centre for Hydrology, with funding from Yukon Environment Water Resources Branch and in collaboration with McMaster University, under a climate change study supported by Transport Canada, is inviting applications for the post of Hydrology Research Officer.

We are looking for an energetic hydrologist to carry out field and office research which includes:

  • Installation, maintenance and operation of hydrological and meteorological monitoring instrumentation in Wolf Creek Research Basin, and along the Dempster Highway, Yukon;
  • Hydrological and meteorological data retrieval, quality control and assurance, archiving and dissemination of data;
  • Carrying out hydroclimatic analyses;
  • Preparation of technical reports.

Qualifications:
Applicants must have a BSc degree and preferably a MSc degree in a hydrology, atmospheric science, natural resources, or an environmental engineering field. The successful applicant should have interests in hydrology and meteorology. Applicants should have an aptitude for conducting field work in a challenging environment while programming, deploying and maintaining hydrological and meteorological instrumentation. All candidates must demonstrate that they have excellent oral and written communication skills and an ability to work with a diverse research team.

Position:
The one year position (with possibility for extension) will be staffed through the University of Saskatchewan Centre for Hydrology and will be based in Whitehorse. Salary will be commensurate with level of experience and demonstrated abilities.

Applications will be reviewed starting June 15, 2015. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. See further details at www.usask.ca/hydrology. Please email your CV, cover letter, and names and contact information of three references to Joni Onclin at centre.hydrology@usask.ca.

This posting is available in PDF format here.

CBC Interview Covers Challenges of Managing for Flood and Drought Risks

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Professor John Pomeroy was interviewed on 11th May 2015 by the CBC Radio One Calgary Eyeopener morning show, to discuss this year’s lower snowpack and early snowmelt, and the challenges of managing reservoirs so that they are equally effective for both flood control and sustaining low flows during dry years.

The interview also resulted in an article on the CBC website, available online here.

 

Flood-Mitigation Potential of Beavers Highlighted

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At the recent joint CGU / AGU congress in Montreal, Dr Cherie Westbrook presented a detailed assessment of the effectiveness of beaver dams as natural flood defences, based on observations made in the Kananaskis area during the major Alberta floods of June 2013. Her work has also been profiled in Science News, in an article available here.

INARCH Announcement Published in Nature

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The new International Network for Alpine Research Catchment Hydrology (INARCH), which has been established as a GEWEX cross-cut project following its founding by Professor John Pomeroy and an initial list of 25 participants from around the world, was formally announced in a recent edition of Nature. The article is available online here, and full details of the aims of INARCH are provided on its website.