Lessons Learned from Edmonton’s River Valley

For the past two summers, Swim Drink Fish has been fortunate enough to return to the North Saskatchewan River to monitor water quality. This came after a two year hiatus of monitoring because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been studying the water quality at Accidental Beach, Terwillegar Park, Sir Wilfred Laurier Park, Fort Edmonton Footbridge Sandbar, and Capilano Boat Launch.

Swim Drink Fish sign beside North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton

During our time at these sites, we’ve noticed many swimmers, boaters, and dog owners at the water's edge and despite the high presence of recreational (rec) water users in these areas, noticeably, none of these spots are set up for such purposes. There is a lack of signage, facilities, and/or lifeguards. There is also a noticeable lack of publicly accessible water quality data. Although these four sites boasted excellent water quality results - overall receiving an A+ grade for the 2023 season; meaning the sites passed 90-100% of the time, we don’t know the water quality on the rest of the river.

Swim Drink Fish staff headed to the water’s edge to test water quality

Swim Drink Fish is currently the only group collecting water quality data to support recreational water use in the river valley. It is our understanding that the City of Edmonton does collect water samples, but they are currently limited to the spots with stormwater outfalls. These samples are also taken infrequently, making them obsolete for rec water users. Those who are choosing to enter the water need samples taken on a regular basis due to the frequency that water quality changes. EPCOR, a utility provider in the city, also samples the water and publishes Water Quality Monthly Bacteriological Data Summaries. These samples are taken from raw water intakes located on the river that collect river water before entering the drinking water treatment plant. This data isn’t interpreted for the general public.

This leaves a noticeable gap in terms of easy-to-access data for the spots that Edmontonians are choosing to recreate. Swim Drink Fish is happy to provide this data to rec water users while helping push forward the notion of Edmonton as a swimmable city. We want to remind locals of the potential that the North Saskatchewan River holds.