Key Facts
News
Coming Soon!
Institutional Stewardship Initiatives
Supporting Aquatic Ecosystems at USask
USask’s work contributes to maintain aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity. For example, in August 2022, USask researchers published research investigating the ecological health of a Canadian river and uncovered the presence of pesticides banned in the 1970s in sediment and fish they sampled. Their work provides needed data that links lake chemistry with hydrology, which is useful for predicting future contaminant trends in freshwater systems and planning effective conservation measures.
In another example, building on USask's past work to understand the toxic effects of tire rubber related compounds in Saskatoon’s urban runoff, USask researcher Dr. Jafar Soltan is collaborating with the City of Saskatoon to develop a water treatment system to remove the toxic compounds from Saskatoon's runoff and the South Saskatchewan River and thus improve watershed health.
Reducing Marine Pollution
Guidelines for USask Grounds Management have eliminated the use of all fertilizers and chemicals in their operations which eliminates potential nutrient loading in run-off into marine bodies. USask has found success in using its dehydrator to turn food and plant waste into compost which is used as water-safe fertilizer in campus gardens, flower beds, public green spaces, and on the Huskie Athletics sports fields.
The university is also investigating expanded use of green infrastructure (e.g. green roofs, engineered swales) to reduce the amount of runoff into the river valley.
Sustainability is kept top of mind in the design, maintenance and use of USask grounds.
Culinary Services Sustainable Seafood Certification
Culinary Services has implemented guidelines to prioritize sustainably sourced or harvested food for campus food operations, including partnering with the Ocean Wise program for the sourcing of sustainable seafood.
Plastic Waste Reduction
Excessive plastic waste poses a hazard to the health of our ecosystems on both land and water.
As opposed to one single overarching plan at USask, there are numerous plans and initiatives occurring across campus on this front. For example, the university bookstore has eliminated plastic bags, food outlets have eliminated plastic straws, and Marquis Culinary Centre uses reusable cutlery and biodegradable takeout containers.
In addition, the USSU Women's Centre makes reuseable menstrual cups available to students, reducing the plastic waste created by single-use menstrual products.
A Purchasing Guide for USask staff provides guidelines that encourage natural materials over plastics.
Green Landscaping
Guidelines for USask Grounds Management have eliminated the use of all fertilizers and chemicals in their operations which eliminates potential nutrient loading in run-off into marine bodies. The university is also investigating expanded use of green infrastructure (e.g. green roofs, engineered swales) to reduce the amount of runoff into the river valley. Sustainability is kept top of mind in the design, maintenance and use of USask grounds.
Research Institutes, Centres, & Projects
Global Institute for Water Security
The Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan is the top water resources research institute in Canada and one of the most advanced hydrology research centres in the world. GIWS is dedicated to:
- Helping protect our precious freshwater resources needed for the world's growing demand for sustainable food production.
- Mitigating the risk of water-related disasters such as floods, droughts, and fires.
- Predicting and forecasting extremes of global change through the use of advanced remote sensing and modelling techniques.
- Co-creating research and braiding Traditional Knowledge with modern science to empower Indigenous communities in protecting healthy waters, people, and ecosystems.
Prairie Water Project
The Prairie Water (PW) project based at USask's Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) prioritizes scientific research on water to address water security in the Canadian Prairies. Working with 30+ partners from federal and provincial governments, Indigenous communities and organizations, industry groups, agriculture, watershed groups, and environmental non-governmental organizations, the goal is to direct research to help inform water-related management and decision-making to enhance the resilience of Prairie communities in a changing world. One of 3 main teams focuses on practices and governance that contribute to community water conservation. The PW Annual Partners Meeting, held in person on 2 February 2023, brought together researchers and partners engaged on the project’s progress thus far and discussed water in the prairies – a report from this event was published in May 2023 and is publicly available.
What About Water?
“What About Water?”, a collaboration between USask’s Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) and Let’s Talk About Water, is an outreach initiative that aims to educate and empower people to bring about solutions and actions for the world’s water realities. Producing films, digital education resources, and a free podcast, the “What About Water?” team includes USask staff. USask Professor Emeritus, Dr. Jay Famiglietti, hosts the podcast. Seasons 3 & 4 aired in 2022/2023. USask's Global Water Futures program has a project called Prairie Drainage Governance that assesses policy and governance effectiveness for agricultural water management. The project engages stakeholders in agricultural water management (e.g. producers, watershed associations) to understand and educate others on how to better foster collaboration and support sustainable livelihoods for farmers, address wildlife and water quality and flow concerns, and deal with climate change impacting freshwater availability.
WildEcol
USask's WildEcol is a series of ongoing public educational outreach events that use public interest presentations to improve awareness about wildlife ecology and conservation, including aquatic ecology and sustainable fisheries. Presentations are publicly available on YouTube following the live events. For example, USask faculty member Dr. Tim Jardine gave a presentation at the WildEcol event on 18 Nov 2022 that included work about important dietary fish in the Jurua River of the Amazon impacted by mercury contamination and the role of invasive feral pigs in supporting the conservation of endangered crocodiles in Australian rivers.
Technical Advisory Committee for the Meewasin Valley-Wide Monitoring Framework
USask faculty members sit on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Meewasin Valley-Wide Monitoring Framework: Strategy for Monitoring within the Meewasin Valley 2021-2026. This guides the planning, communication, and execution of monitoring work; identifies approaches to monitoring design; summarizes the current approaches to ecological monitoring; and proposes recommendations for monitoring practices ton help minimize alteration of aquatic ecosystems in the South Saskatchewan River Valley, within which USask's campus is situated. The document guides monitoring of storm water management, agricultural runoff, and other potential threats to aquatic ecosystems around the university. Dr. Saman Razavi in the School of Environment and Sustainability is leading the Global Water Future's funded Integrated Modelling Program for Canada that is developing tools for the forecasting, prediction, and management of water resources in Canada’s major river basins.
Cumberland House Fisheries Engagement
Dr. Tim Jardine (USask) and Gary Carriere of Cumberland House Cree Nation and the Cumberland House Fisherman's Co-operative in Saskatchewan engaged members of the public in the Saskatchewan River Delta to hear their concerns about environmental quality tied to the upstream flow of water and sediment. They developed actions for the sustainable future of the delta watershed, including local fisheries, and presented their findings at the Global Water Futures Operations Team Meeting on 23-24 November 2022.
Watershed Health Consultations
In August 2022, USask researchers published research investigating the ecological health of a Canadian river and uncovered the presence of pesticides banned in the 1970s in sediment and fish they sampled. Their work provides needed data that links lake chemistry with hydrology, which is useful for predicting future contaminant trends in freshwater systems and planning effective conservation measures. Building on USask's past work to understand the toxic effects of tire rubber related compounds in Saskatoon’s urban runoff, USask researcher Dr. Jafar Soltan is collaborating with the City of Saskatoon to develop a water treatment system to remove the toxic compounds from Saskatoon's runoff and the South Saskatchewan River and thus improve watershed health.
Aquatic Biodiversity Prediction Tools
USask researchers Drs. John Giesy, Paul Jones, Markus Hecker, Tim Jardine, and Bram Noble worked with two dozen partners to develop transformative tools using environmental DNA (eDNA) and next generation sequencing that can predict future trends in biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems so managers can develop adaptive schemes for mitigating damage to these ecosystems. USask's Dr. John Giesy was among those who developed a novel assay using quantitative polymerase chain reaction to monitor the frequences of multiple variants of concern of COVID-19 virus in aquatic systems. The version of record of their paper documenting the technique was published on 15 April 2023 in Science of the Total Environment.
Environmental DNA Tools
USask researchers worked with two dozen partners to develop transformative tools using environmental DNA (eDNA) and next generation sequencing to monitor and predict future trends in biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems so managers can develop adaptive schemes for mitigating damage to these ecosystems. The research team is focused on making this technology functional in a way so that the data collected can be compared and interpreted in the context of information collected historically based on traditional taxonomic nomenclature. This work includes the establishment of libraries of DNA/RNA sequences of what are known as operational taxonomic units, similar to a barcode database for different species that can be annotated with species names. This research is providing an innovative new approach to monitoring for invasive and endangered species, detecting pathogens, characterizing biodiversity, and assessing aquatic ecosystems.
Private Well and Groundwater Stewardship Tools
Drs. Corinne Schuster-Wallace, Lalita Bharadwaj, Simon Papalexiou, and Greg Penner from USask's Global Water Futures program worked with partners from the Saskatchewan Health Authority, North Saskatchewan River Basin Council, and Saskatchewan Water Security Agency to develop a decision-support tool to enhance stewardship of private wells and improve management of groundwater resources and protect health of humans and livestock. As well, the Prairie Water project, co-led by USask School of Environment and Sustainability faculty member Dr. Colin Whitfield, conducts research that is informed by its partners’ questions on water to address pressing concerns of water security and management in the Canadian Prairies. The goal of the project is to direct research to help inform water-related management and decision-making with the vision to enhance the resilience of Prairie communities in a changing world.
Water Resource Prediction Tools
Ten USask researchers are collaborating with researchers from dozens of organizations on the Global Water Future's Integrated Modelling Program for Canada that is developing tools for the forecasting, prediction, and management of water resources in Canada’s seven major river basins. Work has included novel modeling that integrates social factors into holistic management of water resources. Dr. Tim Jardine (USask) and Gary Carriere of Cumberland House Cree Nation and the Cumberland House Fisherman's Co-operative in Saskatchewan collaborated to develop a restoration and stewardship action strategy for the Saskatchewan River Delta and its watershed, used for subsistence by the communities of Cumberland House. They presented this at the Global Water Futures Operations Team Meeting on 23-24 November 2022.
Research Impact
Coming Soon!
Sample Courses
The biology of fishes including their morphological diversity, physiology, behaviour and ecology, and their management and utilization.
This course introduces additional topics in the discipline of sanitary/environmental engineering. It builds upon previously introduced principles of chemistry, fluid mechanics and fundamentals of sanitary/environmental engineering. Topics covered include design of lime soda ash softening in drinking water treatment; design of biological wastewater treatment systems; and sludge and residual solids management in water and wastewater treatment. An introduction to tertiary wastewater treatment and wastewater disposal issues is also presented.
The geographic distribution of hydrologic processes in Canada is examined. The types of processes and their rates of operation are related to regional physical environments.
This course will provide an overview of the sources, fate and effects of toxicants in the aquatic environment. Material will center around prevailing issues reported in the popular news media associated with modern and legacy contaminants, and will illustrate how laboratory and field testing can be combined to assess and predict effects on organisms.
For a full listing of related courses, please visit the Office of Sustainability's sustainablity course inventory.