Background Articles

A severe storm hit Anchorage and Mat-Su, causing power outages for thousands due to high winds and rain. Gusts exceeded 100 mph in higher elevations, with significant impacts across the region.

Fort McMurray, vulnerable to ice jam floods, is enhancing its infrastructure with walls, berms, and raised roads to prevent future flooding, following a significant incident in 2020.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation is constructing 100 artificial beaver dams by 2025 to encourage beaver population growth and restore wetland ecosystems.

Land uplift in Svartsengi continues at a steady rate, linked to ongoing magma accumulation, with increased volcanic activity expected.

The EPA has designated portions of the Upper Columbia River as a Superfund site due to pollution primarily from Canadian industrial sites, opening up federal funding for cleanup.

Alaska is experiencing rapid environmental changes, including record-high temperatures, shrinking sea ice, increased wildfires, and unusual wildlife patterns, such as the decline of salmon and the rise of snow goose populations.

A study identifies shrinking salmon size as a factor affecting Chinook salmon productivity in Alaska's Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, impacted by conditions like extreme temperatures and high runoff.

Eleven out of twenty-five communities in Nunavut have received boil water advisories in 2024 due to infrastructure and water quality issues, with efforts underway to upgrade aging systems.

Rehabilitation efforts have successfully brought spawning salmon back to urban streams in Metro Vancouver, highlighting the importance of conservation and community stewardship.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's preliminary report for 2024 shows a record low in Norton Sound's commercial fishery, with an exvessel value of $146,326 from a salmon harvest of 21,490. Statewide salmon harvests declined by 56% from the previous year.

Russian researchers have identified thousands of craters on the Kara Sea bed due to explosive methane gas releases, posing potential risks to underwater gas pipelines.

An aerial survey of the Kuskokwim River reveals widespread thin ice and large open holes, raising safety concerns for nearby communities.

New data reveals high salinity levels in several Halifax lakes, posing a threat to aquatic life. Halifax considers new measures to manage salt runoff.

People living in West Dawson are urging the Yukon government to do more to support them while they wait for the Yukon River to freeze over, and provide them with reliable access to emergency services.

In Kotzebue, Alaska, local responders continue to repair over 50 properties severely damaged by a storm in October, focusing on essential infrastructure before winter begins.

A severe storm in Kotzebue, Alaska, caused significant flooding, displacing 80 people and damaging critical infrastructure, including roads and the airport.

The erosion that prompted Gov. Mike Dunleavy's action is advancing on the Northwest Alaska community's water lines.

Bethel high school students in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program have taken up magnet fishing, retrieving over 50 bikes and various other items from Brown's Slough.

Researchers believe that if permafrost thaw continues at its current rate and mercury keeps being released, it could pose a real threat to many communities throughout northern and western Alaska.

The ACAT report reveals that the Arctic Ocean Basin has the highest global concentration of microplastics, posing significant health risks to local wildlife and residents.