Where did the water go? Poplar Lake dries up in north Edmonton
A north Edmonton community is full of questions, after their natural water feature all of a sudden disappeared.
The body of water Poplar Lake, also known as Klarvatten Wetland, has existed for decades along 82 Street — so much so, the road curves around the lake, which existed before the neighbourhood grew up around it.
The city described it as a 'stormwater-influenced wetland' buffered by additional park space. The outlet is controlled to provide a range of water levels, accommodating wetland function and wildlife habitat, the city's website said.
The shallow body of water was more of a pond of slough than a full-on lake, but the city said it was a productive and diverse wetland that supports many wildlife species.
View image in full screen
Poplar Lake in Edmonton a few years ago. Supplied
It was home to 21 species of songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors. It was full each spring until about two years ago, when Klarvatten-area residents noticed the water levels began to drop.
Story continues below advertisement
Then about two weeks ago, the water dried up and all that's left behind is mud surrounded by cattails and reeds.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The lake is a natural feature, not a man-made stormwater pond like many of the bodies of water in Edmonton neighbourhoods that EPCOR looks after.
View image in full screen
Poplar Lake in north Edmonton on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Global News
The utility provider said it recently became aware of area concerns over the lack of water.
'We looked into work we've done in this area since 2024, and the only project we identified was a drinking water infrastructure upgrade last fall. The nature of this work would not have affected Poplar Lake or its water levels,' EPCOR said on Thursday.
Now, EPCOR is looking at ways man could help nature heal itself.
'We understand communities value naturalized areas like Poplar Lake and are exploring options with its owners to assess the potential for EPCOR to help restore water levels, drawing from a nearby stormwater pond.
Story continues below advertisement
'We're working alongside our partners to review options that would ensure this approach would not negatively affect the wastewater collection system or the surrounding environment.'
Jaclyn Kucey has more from area residents in the video above.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
18 hours ago
- Global News
‘Fire everywhere': Squamish wildfire burns within 40 feet of home
It was a close call on Friday morning for a homeowner in Squamish as the Dryden Creek fire came dangerously close to a property. At 5:15 a.m. the fire had burned within about 40 feet of Gavin Singh's home. A Global News camera and reporter were in the vicinity, saw the flames and knocked on the door of Singh's home. Luckily the homeowners had just woken up as well and had called 911. Fire crews arrived within a few minutes, set up a sprinkler system and doused the trees behind the home. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We did hear a tree crackle first and then we heard a huge noise that was a tree fall and then after that, we woke up and we saw … fire everywhere,' Singh said. Chief Aaron Foot with Squamish Fire Rescue Services said they set up a sprinkler system so they don't have to put their crews at risk in the forest. Story continues below advertisement 3:33 Weather aids Squamish fire fight The fire is still mapped at 59.5 hectares and classified as out of control. An evacuation alert remains in place and Alice Lake Provincial Park was evacuated as a precaution. Foot said conditions remain favourable and there was some rain overnight.
Global News
19 hours ago
- Global News
U.S. weather presenter's coverage of Canadian wildfires has intensified
Three American TV weather presenters say their viewers' appetite is soaring for information on the swaths of wildfire smoke drifting in from the Canadian Prairies. 'The smoke has really dominated our weather forecasting headlines,' says Jacob Morse, a meteorologist for KFYR-TV in Bismarck, N.D. Morse said North Dakota has been hazy all week due to smoke coming from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where fires have been raging for more than two weeks, forcing more than 30,000 people from their homes. 'We've been talking about it constantly. We're educating viewers on where the fires are and then why the smoke comes here (and the) communities impacted,' he said. View image in full screen Jacob Morse, a meteorologist for KFYR-TV, a television station in Bismarck, N.D., that's affiliated with both NBC and Fox News Channel is seen in this undated handout photo. Courtesy: Jacob Morse via The Canadian Press Eric Snitil, chief meteorologist for WROC-TV in Rochester, N.Y., says a few years ago, his news network had two or three smoke graphics it projected on its green screens, mainly because of wildfires elsewhere in the United States. Story continues below advertisement 'Now we couldn't be building these fast enough because of Canada,' Snitil said. 'It's forcing us meteorologists to not just look out for weather in our own backyard here in New York. 'I find myself now looking at data for Canada and what's the fire conditions looking like many thousands of miles away.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I find myself now looking at data for Canada and what's the fire conditions looking like many thousands of miles away." 2:07 Wildfire smoke chokes communities across Canada, U.S. He said the appetite from viewers has grown because smoke affects such a large number of people at one time. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Bill Kardas, a chief meteorologist of WKTV in Utica, N.Y., says weather presenters across the U.S. have been ramping up their coverage of Canadian wildfire smoke since 2023. As Canadians dealt with their worst wildfire season that year, he said his state turned apocalyptically orange from the smoke. Story continues below advertisement View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen View full screen Previous Image Next Image Close Modal Gallery Snitil said meteorologists in New York weren't prepared. 'Most people around here never experienced anything like the 2023 wildfire smoulder,' said Kardas, a weatherman of 20 years. 'There really wasn't a lot of knowledge as to what was generating this, why is this happening, is this normal, has this ever happened before.' Story continues below advertisement This year, Kardas said his viewers began to notice smoke in the air last week as blazes on the Canadian Prairies intensified. It has prevented many Americans from leaving their homes, he said. 'We're 2,000 miles away and we're feeling the effects of this,' he said. 'I can't imagine how horrible it must be to be dealing with it in proximity.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I can't imagine how horrible it must be to be dealing with it in proximity." 1:51 Doctors warn about short, long term impacts of poor air quality from wildfires Mike Flannigan is a professor in the University of Alberta's department of renewable resources and the director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science. He said there are two main reasons why Canadian smoke is making international headlines. First is that there is more smoke and wildfires to begin with, he said. Story continues below advertisement This year's fire season — the second worst since the 2023 wildfire season — has seen wildfires consume 3.7 million hectares, six times the area of Prince Edward Island. 'And there's probably more (smoke) than that because our fires today are burning more intensely and more deeply,' Flannigan said. Smoke from the flames this year has also crossed oceans and even been detected in Europe. He said people are paying attention to Canadian wildfires globally because they are more aware of the dangers of smoke as science has evolved. 'I'm a fire guy. We talk about good fire and bad fire. There's no such thing as good smoke. It's bad, bad, bad. And it's becoming more frequent,' Flannigan said. 'It affects IQ, it affects fetus development and of course, lungs. It's full of thousands of chemicals.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It affects IQ, it affects fetus development and of course, lungs. It's full of thousands of chemicals." 3:47 Asthma Canada on health risks from wildfire smoke He said he hopes the global spread of Canadian wildfire smoke encourages more people to think about human-caused climate change. Story continues below advertisement 'We can prevent some of these wildfires through fire bans, forest closures, education,' Flannigan said.
Global News
21 hours ago
- Global News
Some 30 per cent more Quebec homes to be in flood zones when new mapping takes effect
Quebec's environment minister says about 30 per cent more homes could be located in flood zones when new maps come into effect next year. Benoit Charette says the number of homes in the province's new flood prevention framework will likely increase to 35,000 from about 25,000. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Quebec estimated last year that 77,000 homes could be in flood zones, but that number has since been downgraded. The new maps have not been published and the new framework only comes into effect in 2026. Next year, the Quebec government will identify flood risks on a categorical scale — low, moderate, high and very high. The existing system identifies risk based on the probability that a certain level of flooding will happen in any given year.
