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Climate change (CC) causes extreme meteorological events such as floods, droughts, water scarcity, heat waves, wildfires, and extreme cold. CC may also damage public infrastructures such as drinking water systems (DWSs) and reduce water quality from source to tap. The objective of this review paper is to provide a critical analysis of (1) the impact of CC on the three components of the DWSs: source, treatment, and distribution; (2) the perspectives of DWS employees on CC impacts and adaptation solutions for maintaining water quality; and (3) decision support systems (DSSs) that could be used by DWS employees for CC adaptation. A bibliographic research was conducted using international databases and search engines. The search for scientific articles resulted in the selection of 5234 articles, 78 of which were analyzed in more detail for the elaboration of this scoping review. This review shows that the impacts of CC on water quality are significant, but DWS employees are not enthusiastic about developing adaption measures. This review also shows that DSSs can help DWS employees facilitate the CC adaptation process for the protection of source water, improve water treatment plant operations, and enhance routine management of water quality in the distribution system. Further research is needed to identify strategies that might increase the awareness of and interest in climate change impacts, adaptation, and the use of DSSs among DWS employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic contamination extends across all Great Lakes ecosystems, including in wildlife, with the potential for risk based on laboratory experiments and risk assessment. Due to widespread contamination, and based on evidence suggesting measurable risk, it is time for policy-makers to develop and implement monitoring programs to guide management. Here, we discuss the need for a monitoring strategy with clear guidelines. We synthesize the research that has been published across the Great Lakes, reporting on contamination, regions that have been the focus of study, and the methods used across matrices. Based on our findings, we suggest how research may inform guidelines and next steps—especially if microplastics are to be considered as a toxic chemical sub-indicator under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Future monitoring, using standard and (or) harmonized protocols for sampling and analysis, should build baselines across the basin and begin tracking how contamination changes to assess the health of the Great Lakes, to inform source reduction, and to measure the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing emissions of plastics to freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Industrial development within Canada's boreal zone has increased in recent decades. Forest management activities, pulp and paper operations, electric power generation, mining, conventional oil and gas extraction, nonconventional oil sand development, and peat mining occur throughout the boreal zone with varying impacts on water resources. We review impacts of these industries on surface water, groundwater, and wetlands recognizing that heterogeneity in the dominance of different hydrologic processes (i.e., precipitation, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, and runoff generation) across the boreal zone influences the degree of impacts on water resources. Through the application of best management practices, forest certification programs, and science-based guidelines, timber, pulp and paper, and peat industries have reduced their impacts on water resources, although uncertainties remain about long-term recovery following disturbance. Hydroelectric power developments have moved toward reducing reservoir size and creating more natural flow regimes, although impacts of aging infrastructure and dam decommissioning is largely unknown. Mineral and metal mining industries have improved regulation and practices, but the legacy of abandoned mines across the boreal zone still presents an ongoing risk to water resources. Oil and gas industries, including non-conventional resources such as oil sands, is one of the largest industrial users of water and, while significant progress has been made in reducing water use, more work is needed to ensure the protection of water resources. All industries contribute to atmospheric deposition of pollutants that may eventually be released to downstream waters. Although most industrial sectors strive to improve their environmental performance with regards to water resources, disruptions to natural flow regimes and risks of degraded water quality exist at local to regional scales in the boreal zone. Addressing the emerging challenge of managing the expanding, intensifying, and cumulative effects of industries in conjunction with other stressors, such as climate change and atmospheric pollution, across the landscape will aid in preserving Canada's rich endowment of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the past decade, plastic pollution has been documented throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes basin. Here, we demonstrate the application of a published ecological risk assessment and management framework for microplastics in aquatic environments by comparing proposed thresholds for risk to monitoring data from the Great Lakes region. Our results suggest that there may be measurable risks from microplastics to aquatic communities in parts of the Great Lakes where current concentrations are relatively high. For example, 89% of surface water samples collected across the region exceed the proposed risk thresholds for food dilution toxicity. However, all sediment samples remain below the proposed risk thresholds. Accordingly, we suggest that an appropriate and necessary next step for management may include convening a working group of local experts to develop an ecological risk assessment and management framework for the region comprising thresholds of concern for microplastics in surface water and sediment. Ultimately, microplastic pollution should be addressed in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to ensure coordinated and sustained efforts are taken by the governments of Canada and the United States to reduce their release and impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small lakes (<1 km2) are physically, chemically, and biologically linked to their watersheds through hydrologic, terrestrial, and aerial delivery of materials. Inputs affecting lake function and structure, such as nutrient, energy, sediment, and large wood subsidies, arrive at the lake on three spatial scales, that is, the lake watershed, lake-inflow streams, and lake riparian areas. Lakes are sinks in the waterscape and integrate cumulative inputs from the landscape. Lakes can, therefore, react to landscape disturbances such as forest harvesting. Forest harvesting and associated activities can induce changes in watershed water yields, inputs of organic and inorganic materials to lakes, and in lake temperatures and wind. These changes result in stressors that can alter the lake's physical habitat, water quality, and food webs. Here we review the reported impacts of forest harvesting on small, temperate zone lakes. The magnitude of the lake response to harvesting can depend on factors such as the proportion of the watershed harvested, the intensity of this harvesting, silvicultural practices and other activities, and road construction and density. Other additional factors include the proximity of the lake to harvesting and its impact on hydrological pathways connecting perturbed areas to stream and lake systems. The majority of surveyed studies reported short-term increases in nutrient and energy inputs, increased sedimentation due to harvesting, and increases in wind speeds, where about half reported increases in primary production or decreases in zooplankton biomass. Results on benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and amphibians were less frequently reported and were geographically variable. Variation in the direction and magnitude of a lake's food web response is likely due to studies of lakes with differences in watershed characteristics and forestry activities that can affect the magnitude of the lake response (i.e., proportion of watershed harvesting, forestry operations methods, hydrological connections to the lake, and site-specific attributes). We also discuss watershed forestry management and the implementation of lakeshore riparian buffers in the context of reducing forestry impacts on lakes. Most studies have been short-term, and the long-term, cumulative effects of forest harvesting on lake ecosystems remain unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flows released from reservoirs are often modified to mitigate the negative ecosystem effects of dams. We estimated the effects of two experimental flows, fall-timed floods and elimination of sub-daily variation in flows on weekends, on growth rates of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Experimental flow effects were compared to effects of water temperature, phosphorous concentration, solar insolation, and competition, by fitting mixed effect von Bertalanffy models to ∼ 10 000 observations of growth from mark-recapture between 2012 and 2021. There was strong support for models predicting faster growth during intervals with higher solar insolation, and lower water temperature and competition for prey. Effects of phosphorus and experimental flows were small and uncertain. Drought-related increases in dam release temperatures during summer and fall were predicted to result in severe weight loss for larger trout and could eventually threaten the viability of the population and the fishery it supports. The effects of water temperature and competition on fish growth substantially exceeded the effects of controlled floods and steadier flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article reports that western cordillera supplies freshwater across much of western Canada mainly through meltwater from snow and ice. Topics include the study incorporates existing information to synthesize and future freshwater supplies and demands across major north-, west-, and eastflowing sub-basins of the Canadian western cordillera, and the greatest and most widespread impact is the seasonality of streamflow has characterized by earlier spring freshets, and decreased summerflow.

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Geotechnical Journal is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)