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    • Low water and high temperatures threaten fish and other wetland species

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    The long, hot summer and exceptionally low water levels have combined to leave some Alberta rivers dry or so warm that trout and other aquatic species are struggling to survive.

    Lesley Peterson, a biologist with Trout Unlimited Canada, says field teams are finding stretches of tributary rivers and streams that have gone completely dry.

    "We're seeing it in the Bow River as well but that's a result of what's going on on the landscape," Peterson said.

    "It's stressful. It's hard. They're running out of habitat.

    "I'm hearing reports of fish being stranded in the small pools, so it's a difficult time."

    Trout need cold water to breathe.

    In the past, the glaciers of the Rockies helped provide some insurance against drought, adding additional cold water in dry years.

    But over the past 25 years or so, many smaller glaciers have disappeared completely and many of the larger ones have lost significant volume.

    While the Athabasca Glacier historically held snow until July before ice melt began, this year, that snow was gone in April.

    Trout Unlimited Canada is now working on stream-side habitat projects, planting trees that will help hold water for longer, as well as creating beaver habitats in the hopes of bringing back the network of natural dams that once existed.

    The province has emergency time-of-day fishing restrictions in place now to help ease the strain on the fish.

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