Twenty Canadian and nine American municipalities have agreed to reduce their water consumption by 15 per cent by 2015. The cities taking part in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative included Toronto, Montreal, Sault Ste. Marie, Chicago and New York. Eleven of them, including Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie, already have water conservation plans in place. Toronto's plan will cost almost $75 million over the next four years, but the city says it will save more than $220 million in infrastructure costs. Toronto Mayor David Miller says Canadian cities need the support of the provincial governments to enforce strict building codes and retail requirements for energy and water efficiency. The mayor cited as an example the need to ban old-fashioned toilets and to encourage the use of low-flow bowls.
Monday 09 July 2007 TORONTO:SERIOUS WATER SHORTAGES FORECAST
The United Nations is warning that two-thirds of the world will face serious water shortages by 2025. Environmental experts are worried by the lack of alarm over serious problems in one region, the Great Lakes, which straddle Canada and the United States. Parts of the lakes are dealing with pollution and invasive species. The Great Lakes make up about 20 per cent of the world's fresh water. They supply water to over 30 per cent of Canada's population.
Sunday 17 June 2007 rci OTTAWA: LAWMAKERS DEBATE WATER DISPUTE WITH U.S.
Canada's House of Commons were to hold an emergency debate Thursday evening about a dispute over water between the western province of Manitoba and the U.S. state of North Dakota. Manitoba objects to the state's plan to drain water from Devils Lake into Canada because it could harm fishing in Lake Winnipeg, the world's 10th-biggest freshwater lake and home to a fishing industry worth $25 million a year. The Manitoba government says that the proposed drainage of Devils Lake meet doesn't meet the environmental standards of a binational accord regarding the lake. The government also says that salt levels in Devils Lake are 10 times higher than those of Lake Winnipeg and that non-native fish parasites and algae could end up there. The North Dakota government says its lake needs draining and has more than tripled in size because of heavy rains in recent years.
go to "watch t.v. spots" and click on #1, Glacier recession.
thanks to Judith Patterson OWN
Wed1317 30 May 2007 Foreign acquisition of resource companies
A short clip was played of Michael Enwright's interview with Andrea Mandel-Campbell, author of Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson(andreamandelcampbell.com/), which generated discussion of the timidity/conservative approach of Canadian investors. Canadians tend to be cautious and conservative when buying, but want top dollar when they sell. We have been investing in foreign countries for years, but now that our resource companies, and corporations such as the quintessentially Canadian Hudson Bay Company are foreign owned, a red flag has gone up.
In the fear and discussion over this issue we appear to be ignoring a more vital threat to our national continued existence, namely water, our most precious resource in great demand and currently in plentiful supply. Canada has 7% of the world's renewable supply of freshwater and 20% of the world's total freshwater resources (including waters captured in glaciers and the polar ice caps ec.gc.ca/WATER backgr).
[We should be mindful that only 1% of the world's water is usable as about 97% is sea (salt) water, and 2% is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.]
Water from Wed1309
The supply of potable water is declining. While climate change plays a part in affecting global water supplies, it is the pressure of increasing population growth that is at the root of the problem. Growing urban water supply and sanitation needs, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries, face increasing competition with other sectors. Rising incomes in other portions of the world population fuel demand for manufactured goods and environmental services and amenities, all of which require water.
[see: 2nd UN World Water Development Report]
According to the IPCC report report, by 2020, up to 250 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa are likely to face water shortages. Parts of Asia would be endangered by the melting of glaciers in mountainous regions such as the Himalayas. Similar melting of European glaciers would endanger southern Europe.
"In Southern Europe, climate change is very likely to have negative impacts by increasing risk to health due to more frequent heat waves, reducing water availability and hydropower, endangering crop production, and increasing the frequency of wildfires," the report says.
Seawater can be desalinated, but requires energy. Rainwater is used to recharge ground water in India, but reclaiming water from melting snow is not currently being done.
cbc.ca/news/background/climatechange
22 Mar 2007 ...
Hungry for water
How much water does it take to produce a cup of tea? More than you might think - about 35 litres (8 gallons). That's because you need buckets of the stuff to grow the tea leaves in the first place. By the same logic, it takes about 1,450 litres to produce a kilogram of wheat. And a kilo of beef requires up to 15,000 litres, the amount necessary to grow the grain to feed the cow that ends up in your burger.
Today, on World Water Day, I'm reminded that the international food trade is essentially a form of water trade. If you live where water is scarce, it's more efficient to import sacks of corn than the millions of tonnes of water needed to produce it all yourself. So food becomes a kind of virtual water import.
Water
Let's talk about water! Water is all around us here in Canada, but a lack
of water is already a pressing concern for much of the world. CitizenShift
is taking 11 films about water on the road to cities across Canada. We'll
be screening the films and discussing water issues with experts and
activists...and you! Check out the films in our Watch section; they cover
water issues like pollution, global warming and privatization. What we
decide about water today will affect the future for all of us. Who owns
water? Is water a human right or a human need? How can we stop polluting
and wasting this precious natural resource? Watch, listen, look, read...and
join the discussion.
citizen.nfb.ca/waterpressgallery/
Go Back
Wednesday 21 March 2007 ...
Well - working on this World Water Day [March 22] project with the NFB has been an eye-opener for me (one of the main reasons I took the job - eager to learn more - and boy, have I ever!).
Saw the DVD of the 12 films about "right to water" on Monday night; there will still be other screenings tonight and tomorrow in various Canadian cities. Nestled in my safe little world of day to day mundane issues, I was totally unaware of this topic of water privatization, which is already having an impact on Canada; this is not a third world country problem.
You can read more about what is going on at the following site: canadians.org At the top of this page under the banner photo, go to the menu option of CAMPAIGNS and click on WATER. On this particular page of the Council of Canadians site, you can click on the option to send a letter to the Prime Minister - fast and dirty; takes two seconds. Or you can simply inform yourself by researching the other topics available here.
Whatever you choose to do - please help to spread the word so more people become aware of this issue. With upcoming elections, we can be informed and on the lookout to see which party is making this a priority as, in my newly enlightened state, I think it should be.
Thanks,
Barb Barbara Ford [ygraine7@videotron.ca]
see Also water as a human right at the United Nations.
Monday 04 December 2006 DULUTH: CONCERN GROWS OVER LAKE LEVEL
Scientists are concerned about the low water level in one of the world's largest bodies of freshwater, Lake Superior, on the border between Canada and the United States. In late autumn, the water level was at its lowest in 80 years. The drop was caused by six months of regional drought. Low water levels mean that freighters must travel with lighter loads along the lake's channels, locks and harbours. It's feared that the low water levels could continue for many years.
Wednesday 29 November 2006 TORONTO: GREAT LAKES CALLED CESSPOOL
An environmental report says that despite the huge sums invested to clean up the Great Lakes, they're as dirty as ever. The report by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund says billions of litres of untreated urban sewage are being poured into the Lakes each year, threatening its ecosystem. The document refers to municipal sewage as "a foul cocktail of human waste, micro-organisms, disease-causing pathogens and hundreds of highly toxic chemicals." According to the Fund, the chief problem is that outdated sewage systems are unable to deal with the huge amounts of effluents poured into them, a situation which worsens when heavy rains occur. The report recommends that national, provincial and state government co-operate to improve infrastructure, harmonize legislation and ensure enforcement of regulations.
Sunday 19 November 2006 
Video: China´s Yellow River
The Times´s Jim Yardley finds rampant pollution and booming urbanization along the polluted Yellow River, which is being sucked dry by growth. Related Article
| video part 2
Monday 13 November 2006
Oilsands tapping Canada's freshwater supply dry
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose must deal with a new warning about Canada's freshwater supply when she steps onto the international stage to sell her government's plan to fight global warming at a United Nations climate-change conference.
Climate change may lower the water level in some of Canada's rivers and lakes, with serious economic consequences. The government tries to protect public transit and oil rigs from terrorist attacks. Federal money to finance entrepreneurs in developing countries gets lots of coverage, but may be paltrier than advertised.
Monday 13 November 2006 maisonneuve DROWNING IN SHALLOW WATER
The
Citizen fronts and the
Globe goes inside with reports on an ominous assessment of the future
of Canada’s freshwater resources and their potential economic costs.
The World Wildlife Fund Canada released a report yesterday on the expected
effects of climate change on water levels in some Canadian lakes and
rivers. The study focuses on Alberta’s Athabasca River, which is
used by the growing petroleum industry in the tar sands, and on the Great
Lakes, which power much of Ontario’s hydroelectric facilities. The
worry is that even conservative estimates of temperature increases within
the next fifty years could cut water flow in the Athabasca by 10 percent
and lower the level of the Great Lakes by more than a metre. The report
says that lessened supply won’t be sufficient to meet demand, and
recommends acting now by putting off development of the oil sands and
seeking out alternatives to Great-Lakes-powered hydro installations.
Declining water levels aren’t the only environmental threat in
today’s news run. The
Globe, CTV
News and the Citizen (not available online) all speculate on the
coming political showdown at the UN climate talks in Nairobi, Kenya.
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose arrives at the conference tonight, on
the heels of a planned announcement by Canadian opposition MPs and
environmentalists on the unpopularity of the Conservative
government’s environmental plans back at home. The public rebuke is
part of a plan to pressure the government into keeping its commitment to
reduce greenhouse gases as prescribed by the Kyoto protocol. Ambrose has
said Canada is not on track to meet its commitment, and the
government’s proposed Clean Air Act has received sharp criticism for
failing to get tough on carbon dioxide emissions. But Ambrose claims that
the criticism doesn’t worry her, telling CTV News that Canada has
“the support of the international community.” While MediaScout
sympathizes with the opposition attempt to hold the government to its word,
it is unsure that a public shame session is the most effective way of doing
it. Better to seek out common concerns, as the WWF report so expertly does,
translating environmental degradation into the language of lost profits and
declining economic output.
Saturday 04 November 2006 rci HALIFAX: CANADA ON RIGHT PATH TO PROTECTING SEA SPECIES
Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn says the federal government is on the right track in protecting fish stocks but wasn't surprised by a report of international scientists and ecologists that overfishing and pollution are devastating stocks. The report appearing in the American journal Science predicted that virtually all stocks will collapse by 2048 unless practices are changed. Mr. Hearn says he agrees with the prediction but that Canada is trying to correct the mistakes of the past by shifting attention to the entire ecosystem instead of individual species. Mr. Hearn also says Canada is trying to reform the agencies that manage fisheries in international waters, as well as seeking fishing technologies less harmful to marine environments. The World Wildlife Fund reacted to the minister's comments pessimistically, saying it has failed to act on promises to protect marine spaces that could help species recover from overfishing and not cracking down on countries which overfish.
Tuesday 31 October 2006 nyt water filter video
Donald G. McNeil Jr. demonstrates how a new personal water filter, worn around the neck, could help ensure people around the world have clean water to drink. (Produced by Emily B. Hager) A $3 Water Purifier That Could Save Lives
Thursday 26 October 2006 GREAT LAKES ACCORD SAID TO NEED UPDATE
A report is recommending that a Canada-United States agreement to keep the five Great Lakes clean should be replaced with something more relevant. The International Joint Commission says the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is outdated and does not deal with modern problems. It was last updated in 1987. The Commission says a new plan would have specific timelines for improvements to water quality and would make governments more accountable for reaching targets. Herb Gray, a former Canadian cabinet minister who is on the Commission, says this is the first time in many years that there's been a strong desire for change. The Canada-U.S. commission was established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.
Environmentalists in India are worried that China may be planning to dam a giant river that runs through its territory. They say they fear a disaster if Beijing builds a dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River, which runs into India's giant Brahmaputra. The Times of India has reported that China wants to divert 200 billion cubic meters of water to feed the Yellow River in an attempt to ease acute water shortages. The daily quoted sources in Beijing saying "the plan reportedly has the backing of Chinese President Hu Jintao, a hydro engineer by profession". However, a foreign ministry official in Beijing has denied the report.
UNDATED: CANADA DENOUNCED AS WATER WASTER
An international environment group says Canada is among the worst offenders when it comes to wasting the Earth's resources. The World Wildlife Fund says that on a per capita basis, only three countries use more water and other resources than Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Finland. Canada has one of the world's largest fresh water reserves.
Saturday 07 October 2006 UNDATED: CANADA'S WATER QUALITY CRITICIZED
An environmental lobby has criticized the Canadian government for its drinking water policies.The Sierra Legal Defence Fund says in its annual report that the country seems unable to provide all of its citizens with proper drinking water, native reserves experiencing particular problems. The lobby gives the eastern province of New Brunswick the worst mark. Ontario earned the best for having drawn conclusions from the Walkerton disaster. Seven residents of the southwestern down died and 2,500 others fell sick when the town's water supply became contaminated with deadly E. coli bacteria. Health Canada says about 90 people die annually from drinking contaminated water.
Monday 18 September 2006 Eco-Paradises in Crossfire of Water Scarcity Fight
GENEVA — Delicate wetlands, coasts and wildlife sanctuaries could be ravaged as part of a struggle to stretch the world's water supplies, with the worst damage foreseen in poor countries.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE (EXCEPT NAFTA) - as reported in Maisonneuve Magazine's daily round-up
"The Citizen goes inside with a former US envoy’s suggestion that Canada should reconsider its stance on bulk water exports to the US. Paul Cellucci, the outspoken and oft-maligned former ambassador to Canada, tells the Citizen that Canada’s massive fresh water supply should be included in the same category as other exportable natural resources, maintaining that both countries will eventually be forced to address the issue. Provinces currently allow for the export of bottled water, and although bans against bulk water exports are in place, the Citizen reports that Canada could “lose control over the resource under the North American Free Trade Agreement if any province or territory opens to the door to sales of bulk water exports to regions that are starting to face record droughts in the US.” The Tories are currently drafting a new national water strategy, but a US government spokesperson nonetheless says that no negotiations on bulk exports are planned and that no proposals on the matter have been put forward."
Monday 18 September 2006 OTTAWA: CANADA AND USA TO STUDY GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS
Canada and the United States have begun a major study to determine why water levels in the Great Lakes have declined. Over the five years, the study costing CDN$17.5 million will consider various causes, including climate change and erosion. Canada's environment minister, Rona Ambrose, says that water levels in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan were as much as 45 centimetres below average this summer. A drop of just half a centimetre means a loss of millions of gallons of water. The two lakes are at their lowest levels since the 1960s. Lake Superior is at its lowest level since 1926. The low water levels have caused problems for navigation, power generation and recreation.
Monday 11 September 2006 BANFF: CANADA WARNED ABOUT NEED TO CONSERVE WATER
The Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy is being held this year in Banff, AB, where about 50 scientists and senior water managers are gathered for sessions. The city is a popular resort nestled in the Rocky Mountains. A Swiss expert, Bruno Messerli of the University of Bern, took advantage of the occasion to warn Canadians that they must consider the Rockies as less of a recreational resource and more as water towers that need government protection. The expert says he's alarmed that the average temperature in the Rockies is three degrees warmer over the past three decades, with the result that there are less snow and ice to melt and supply water. He says the solution is a greater effort to enforce the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change
Sunday 10 September 2006 nyt In the West, a Water Fight Over Quality, Not Quantity Coal bed methane producers are dumping wastewater that Montana ranchers say can destroy the ability to grow anything.
Saturday 02 September 2006 Water is running out in the west coast town of Tofino, BC., where its water reservoir could run dry within days leaving the town's 1,800 residents with only bottled water. Some businesses are trucking in their own water. Tofino's city council on Thursday debated a plan to truck in water from the nearby town of Ucluelet 24 hours a day until the crisis has passed. Tofino is located on Vancouver Island in a rain forest, and receives an average of three metres of rain a year. But its summers are dry and the present one has been exceptionally so. Some residents have complained that their politicians have allowed the popular resort to grow too quickly without allowing its infrastructure to expand as well.
Sunday 27 August 2006 Wed1278 Fall will no doubt bring another round of one
of our topics of long duration - WATER.
Water, water everywhere, nor any drop
to drink bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/
... more and more of the world is recognizing the dangerous depletion of
the world's clean water supplies, some say more through mismanagement than
real shortage
turkishdailynews.com.tr/ Check out news from Stockholm on World Water Week.
How many of you knew that an Indian-born Canadian received the US$ 150,000
Stockholm Water Prize for his work with the Mexico City-based Third World Centre
for water management? This is the kind of globalization we really enjoy hearing
about! triplepundit.com/pages/new-wave-thinking-world-water--
Sun 20/08/2006 SWEDENA new report on the world's water supplies says that more people are suffering from a lack of water. The report by the International Water Management Institute was compiled by about 700 experts and supported by the United Nations. The report concluded that one in three people in the world must endure some form of water shortage, whether drinking water or water for irrigation. The number is higher than previous estimates. The report predicts that shortages will increase in the next 40 years, but it also says that the world is not running out of water. It concludes that there is enough land, water and human capacity to solve water shortages.
August 16, 2006 — By Reuters Rich Countries Like Poor Face Water Crisis
GENEVA — Rich countries have to make drastic changes to policies if they are to avoid the water crisis that is facing poorer nations, the WWF environmental organisation said on Wednesday.
Mon Jul 03, 2006 David Graham Canada: Defined by Water in 2020
...As the water table has dropped, water problems have become more frequent. We've had a boil water advisory for nearly a year, following the death of some of my compatriots and the serious sickness of nearly half the city. No-one is quite sure exactly what the cause is, but there is little doubt that the pipeline is to blame. cdlu.net/ My Heart is Africa
26 May 2006 Water-guzzling industries 'a threat' to China's north
The study warns of an imbalance between water resources and water use
[BEIJING] Water-intensive or polluting industries are expanding in some of China's driest regions, warns a study in the June issue of Ecological Economics.
It urges China to reconsider the siting of industries with heavy water demands in the north of the country, which contains about 20 per cent of China's total water resources but supports more than half its 1.3 billion population.
Thursday May 11, 2006 If he could bottle and sell it ...
Environmentalists plan to export B.C. creek wate
Tuesday Apr 11, 2006 nyt Experts See Peril in Reduced Monitoring of Nation's Streams and Rivers While the data from gauges are best known for alerting people to floods, the devices serve many other purposes.
Monday Apr 10, 2006 ts 1,000 on reserve without water
CANOE NARROWS, Sask.—About 1,000 residents of a northern Saskatchewan reserve have been without water since Monday, when a malfunctioning water treatment plant allowed sewage to back up into the drinking water supply.
Wednesday Apr 5, 2006 riv OTTAWA: WATER CRISIS PREDICTED FOR WEST
A report indicates that several of the four western Canadian provinces will face an unprecedented water crisis in coming years due to declining river flows and growing water usage. Researchers from the oil-rich province of Alberta say some of the levels of the rivers during the summer are already 20 to 80 per cent lower than in the early part of the 20th century. All the major Prairie province rivers are fed by melting snow and ice from the Rocky Mountains. But the glaciers and snowpack have been receding due to climate warming. The study says that Alberta is the most vulnerable to water shortages because of population growth, extensive use of irrigation and the rapid growth of the oil industry. The two other provinces included in the study are Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Thursday Mar 23, 2006 Canadian wins Stockholm Water Prize
Asit Biswas cited for helping ‘foster a critical rethink' about how to improve delivery of water and sanitation services
Stockholm — A Canadian who heads a water management group in Mexico City has won the annual $150,000 (U.S.) Stockholm Water Prize, organizers said Wednesday.
Saturday Mar 11, 2006 ts Not enough drops to drink
Mismanagement of this precious essential resource is widespread, a United Nations report says and globally, the problem isn't a shortage; it's unequal access and poor sanitation, Peter Gorrie writes.
`Geysers' of water on Saturn's moon
The orbiting Cassini spacecraft has spotted water spewing from geysers on one of Saturn's icy moons. Alicia Chang reports.
Tuesday Feb 21, 2006 nyt A Test for the New Justices A pair of cases that could weaken the Clean Water Act may give the American people the first clear indication of how judicially modest the new Supreme Court justices intend to be.
2005
Friday Dec 30, 2005 nyt THE COST OF GOLD
A Drier and Tainted Nevada May Be Legacy of a Gold Rush
By KIRK JOHNSON
Draining nearly 10 million gallons of water a day is just one of the many byproducts of Nevada's tangled love affair with gold.
Pressure to export water to U.S. likely to grow
There was an edge of frustration in Paul Cellucci's voice when he raised the topic of fresh water exports in a radio interview last month.
Friday Dec 9, 2005cc Great Lakes headed for 'ecological collapse': report
As wetlands disappear and shorelines are degraded, the Great Lakes are losing their ability to cope with environmental stress and ward off a catastrophic breakdown, scientists said Thursday.
Friday Dec 9, 2005 ts Great Lakes headed for 'ecological collapse'
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — As wetlands disappear and shorelines are degraded, the Great Lakes are losing their ability to cope with environmental stress and ward off a catastrophic breakdown, scientists said Thursday.
Thursday Nov 24, 2005 rci A tentative deal has been reached by the eight U.S. Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec regarding the use of water from the Great Lakes. The draft document bans large-scale diversion of water but allows bottled-water projects that would be allowed to withdraw up to 19 million litres a day. The accord still has to be approved by the 10 state and provincial governments. Environmentalists gave the agreement mixed reviews. A water expert with the Council of Canadians, Susan Howatt, predicts that it would weaken Canadian sovereignty over the Canadian part of the Lakes. But the Georgian Bay Association approves because the accord between the two Canadian provinces and state governments, the governors of which allegedly care more about the Lakes than Washington.
Sunday Nov 6, 2005 rci OTTAWA: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING NEW WATER METERS FOR CANADIAN HOMES Canada's government thinks that water pricing policies across the country are inefficient, so there's an idea afoot to introduce home water meters that would charge the real cost of providing water. Canadians could end up paying more for water, since the majority of communities in Canada charge much less for clean water than it costs them to produce it. In Nova Scotia, the consumer price of water is just 26 per cent of the cost of production. More than a third of Canada's utilities charge a basic flat fee for water. Many consumers in those areas use far more water than people in areas where they must pay by the litre. An internal report for the federal Finance Department is proposing the introduction of new water meters as a solution.
Saturday Oct 29, 2005 ts Clean water vow by PM could cost billions
OTTAWA —A disaster at a remote Indian reserve has become the tipping point for nation-wide action that could cost billions, with Prime Minister Paul Martin vowing yesterday to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure safe water for native communities.
Tuesday Sep 6, 2005 cc Alberta goes dry in bid to head off water crisis
Minister of Infrastructure: Heads to Israeli desert for tips on managing resource
Friday Aug 26, 2005 rci FREDERICTON: LNG OPPONENTS WIN FEDERAL SUPPORTER
Opponents of a proposed Liquid Natural Gas project in a water body off the border between the eastern Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. state of Maine have won the support of a federal cabinet minister. Andy Scott is the federal minister of Indian affairs and is also the senior cabinet minister for the province. He has lent his support to the opposition to the proposed LNG project on the Maine side of Passamaquoddy Bay, an inlet off the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Scott says the project entails too many environmental risks to be located in waters that are home to endangered species like the right whale. Supertankers would dock at the LNG facility, but the Canadian government has the power to prevent this by forbidding them to cross the Canadian territorial waters at the entrance to the bay.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2005 rci WINNIPEG: CONTROVERSIAL U.S. WATER PROJECT NOW FLOWING
A long-planned water project in the U.S. state of North Dakota that has long caused worry in Canada went into operation on Monday. Water from Devils Lake began flowing into a 20-kilometre outlet into a river that drains into the Red River. Environmentalists fear the outlet will eventually convey pollutants and unwanted fish species northward into Canada's part of the Red River and eventually into Lake Winnipeg. The Manitoba government failed in a court attempt earlier in the year to stop the Devils Lake project. The Friends of the Earth environmental group said on Monday that the project could bring high levels of sulfates and phosphors into Canada, as well as invasive fish or plant species. North Dakota has built the project to prevent the lake from flooding surrounding farmlands and roads.
Tuesday Aug 16, 2005
Water from the controversial U.S. drainage project has begun pumping into a river that will eventually flow into Canada. The good news is that if tests show that Devils Lake is contaminating Canadian waters, the U.S. government is required to stop the flow. U.S. lake starts draining into Canadian waters
If Water is not your issue, then possibly the softwood lumber debate is of more concern. What could/can Canada do? Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, said Canada has been treated unfairly by the U.S. in disputes over such goods as wheat, beef and softwood lumber. The minister said he was "very disturbed" by the American response to a recent NAFTA panel ruling on the softwood lumber dispute that he called "absolutely clear cut and without equivocation in Canada's favor."
The
Water across the world bbc slides
sci/tech/ 
Water Resources Management 
A watered-down effort 
