Trek will highlight Athabasca River's problems (2:23 p.m.)

Hanneke Brooymans, June 18, 2007, edmontonjournal.com -- An environmental expedition will highlight the troubles of the Athabasca River by tracing its path in Alberta from the source in the Rocky Mountains to the Peace-Athabasca delta.

Don van Hout will lead the two-month, 1,538-kilometre expedition organized by the Pembina Institute, an environmental think-tank. He will be joined by different people along the way, including a flotilla of First Nations people and other concerned citizens at Fort McMurray.

Along the way, the expedition team will witness and write about the stresses and strains faced by one of the province's mightiest rivers.

The trip begins with a climb up to Mount Snow Dome in the Rocky Mountains. The meltwater coming off this icefield flows into various rivers that drain to the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. The Columbia glacier that feeds the Athabasca River is rapidly retreating from the warm conditions brought on by climate change.

The climb will be followed by a backcountry hike to the Athabasca headwaters and then four to five weeks of canoeing to the end point of Fort Chipewyan, where the river empties into the delta.

One of the primary concerns the group wants to highlight is the impact oilsands development is having on the river, including the vast quantity of water the industry takes from the river.

As they travel the now swollen river, van Hout will speak to people living along the Athabasca to hear their stories and concerns about the river. These stories and other updates will be uploaded to the "Water Log" at www.connectingthedrops.ca.

A link on the website also allows anyone to post their own connections and concerns about the Athabasca River.
After the trip winds up, around August 13, the team will present Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach with Albertan's concerns and recommendations regarding the future of the Athabasca River Basin.