LEO Network

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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Unusual cysts in grayling
"Grayling guts with unknown pearl like cyst or tapeworm. Never seen this before in our grayling."
Arctic Village, Alaska, United States
Noah Tsigonis, Crystal Frank Welker, Jayde Ferguson, Sarah Yoder

Blue-green algae bloom found in Yellowknife not toxic, government says
The N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Canadian Coast Guard tested samples from various locations in the area. The results showed no toxins present.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

50 Massachusetts beaches closed for unsafe bacteria as residents try to enjoy weekend before Labor Day
Over the past few months, the Mass Department of Public Health, working with the Department of Recreation and Conservation, has deemed dozens of water locations throughout the state closed due to high bacteria levels.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
CBS Boston

High water after many days of rain
Alatna and Koyukuk River water level rise in three days raising concerns for transportation, and community is on emergency flood watch.
Alatna, Alaska, United States

Erosion continues along Noatak River
High water throughout the summer continues to erode the river bank.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
Richard L Thoman Jr, Jeffrey Luther, Crane Johnson, Gemini

Dead fish in creek near Eagle mine likely killed by cyanide, Yukon officials say
Officials with the Yukon government say dozens of dead fish found earlier this week in a creek near Victoria Gold's Eagle mine were likely killed by a discharge of contaminated water from the mine site.
Mayo, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Juneau glacial outburst flooding begins; Mendenhall Lake and River set to hit near-record levels
Minor flood stage will begin Monday morning, with flood water expected to crest sometime early Tuesday.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
KTOO

2 Dead After Dam Collapses in Northwestern Russia
Two people were killed after a torrent of water poured over a cofferdam in northwestern Russia early Monday and flooded the surrounding area, authorities said.
Надвоицы, Сегежский район, Karelia, Russia
The Moscow Times

Most of the red salmon were carrying worms
From the images shared, these appear to be *Philemona*, a freshwater parasite. *Philomena* is a food quality concern but is *Not* considered a human health concern. With proper preparation, the salmon is safe to eat.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Cindy Lawrence, Lars Flora, Mike Brook, Sarah Yoder, Jayde Ferguson

Residents in parts of Yellowknife say tap water smells, tastes swampy
The city says the water is tested and safe to consume. The city is switching water source back to the Yellowknife River as a primary source, as a result of warm weather consumption, several known leaks, and perhaps other still unknown failures.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Extreme rains causing road erosion
Intense rainfall in Cheonan, South Korea, causes significant erosion of a local river park road.
Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea

Aklavik Hunters and Trappers asked to keep an eye out for 'orange slime'
Floating substance possibly iron oxide, but GNWT wants to make sure.
Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada
NNSL Media

Water Shortage Forces Capri Island to Close Doors to Tourists
Capri Island halts tourist entry due to a major water shortage crisis. Learn about the emergency measures and efforts to restore water supply.
Capri, Campania, Italy
Focus on Travel News - ftnnews.com

Algae bloom warnings issued along Lake Winnipesaukee
New Hampshire officials issued two warnings of potentially dangerous algae blooms along parts of Lake Winnipesaukee, the state’s largest lake. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services said on Thursday it detected high...
Tuftonboro, New Hampshire, United States
Concord Monitor

Disappearing sand dunes and plovers
Sand dunes disappear with more frequent and powerful storms in Western Alaska. These storms have impacted bird nesting grounds and tundra plants.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Meech Lake beach in Gatineau Park closed due to blue-green algae bloom
Meech Lake beach is closed due to a potentially harmful blue-green algae bloom, alongside a fire ban affecting Gatineau Park areas.
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Ottawa

This N.W.T. man was on a survey looking for birds. Instead he found the wreckage of a plane
During a bird survey in Wood Buffalo National Park, Earl Evans unexpectedly discovered a plane wreckage from a 1971 crash, typically submerged but now visible due to low water levels.
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada

Kuskokwim River breakup floods roads, impacts drinking water for some communities
The Kuskokwim River breakup has led to widespread flooding, affecting roads and drinking water in several communities, with Kwethluk experiencing significant impacts.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

10-mile Lower Kuskokwim ice jam causes flooding, high water
A 10-mile ice jam on the Lower Kuskokwim River has caused severe flooding in Tuluksak, with the area experiencing its worst flooding in over a decade.
Aniak, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Evan Erickson, KYUK - Bethel and Sage Smiley, KYUK

Southern Brazil is still reeling from massive flooding as it faces risk from new storms
Southern Brazil is grappling with severe flooding, with further storms and heavy rains forecasted, causing widespread displacement and damage.
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
AP News

Russia's Record Floods Submerge Uranium Mines in Urals
Environmentalists say the latest flooding may have sent radioactive substances into the river, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people living near the banks of the Tobol downstream. State nuclear agency Rosatom, whose subsidiary operates the mines at the Dobrovolnoye uranium deposit, denied that its mining facilities were impacted by the flood.
Seversk, Tomsk, Russia
The Moscow Times

Nuclear expert fears flooded radioactive dump sites in Siberia can threaten Arctic Ocean
Floodwaters in Tomsk region threatens to submerge the river banks in Seversk where highly radioactive liquid waste from the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons program for decades were injected into two unprotected underground reservoirs.
Seversk, Tomsk, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Partial Dam Collapse in Siberia’s Tomsk Region as River Swells
The swelling Tom River in southwestern Siberia has led to a partial dam collapse in the city of Tomsk. This year’s heavy rainfall, combined with abnormally warm spring weather, has led to severe flooding in Russia’s Urals and western Siberia. So far, the floods have submerged around 15,600 homes and 28,000 land plots in 193 Russian towns and cities across 33 regions.
Tomsk, Tomsk, Russia
The Moscow Times

Russia’s Orenburg Orders Mass Evacuation as City Braces for Flood Peak
The mayor of the southern Russian city of Orenburg urged residents to evacuate immediately on Friday as water in the nearby Ural River reached critically dangerous levels and was not expected to recede until next week.
Оренбург, Orenburg, Russia

Shortening ice season on Chistochina River
"The river was iced over for less then 6 weeks! As opposed to 5 months of ice 2 to 3 feet thick before climate change."
Chistochina, Alaska, United States
Wilson Justin, Robert Busey, Crane Johnson

Storm brings historic coastal flooding, high winds to Maine
Powerful storm surges, coinciding with the monthly astronomical high tide, are flooding low-lying streets in Portland and other coastal communities.
Portland, Maine, United States
Portland Press Herald

El Niño effects around Great Slave Lake made for 'spring-like' December in Łútsël K'é, N.W.T.
El Nino and climate change led to an unusually warm December in Łutsël, N.W.T., affecting Christmas plans and ice-related activities due to Great Slave Lake not freezing over as expected.
Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada

More than 300 rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia
Over 300 people were rescued from severe flooding in northeast Australia, with many stranded on rooftops and infrastructure damaged, including a closed Cairns Airport.
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
CTVNews

Bethel SAR warns against Kuskokwim River travel after aerial survey
Bethel Search and Rescue advises against travel on the Kuskokwim River due to dangerous conditions of open water and thin ice identified in their annual aerial survey.
Kuskokwim River, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

High water around Kotzebue
Above normal temperatures in the month of November followed by a series of storms makes varying ice conditions.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Alaskans drawn to alpine lakes for ‘once-in-a-decade’ ice skating conditions
Alaskans are taking advantage of rare ice skating conditions on alpine lakes in Chugach State Park, with hundreds of people hiking into the backcountry to skate on smooth ice in the shadow of iconic peaks.
Rabbit Lake, Alaska
Anchorage Daily News

Invasive Elodea in Piledriver Slough
Invasive Elodea has been observed since 2020.
Moose Creek, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in 28 Mile Pit
Elodea found on and near Eielson Airforce Base
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in Chena Slough
Invasive elodea decade history in the Chena slough with mitigation and persistent infestation.
North Pole, Alaska, United States

Contaminated drinking water a growing problem
Heavier rains and aging distribution networks are triggering more cases of public water supply contamination. The local utility takes water from the Esse River for processing and distribution. Because of recent heavy rains and strong runoff, it contains an unusually high level of solid matter.
Jakobstad, Ostrobothnia, Finland
News

Boaters urge others to be more prepared after Great Slave Lake rescue
Samuel Roberts, 65, and Mark Elson, 51, said they were not prepared to be lost along the shore of Great Slave Lake when they headed out for a short fishing trip. But it became smoky and foggy, and the men became disoriented. The following day, when the air cleared, Roberts said they couldn't recognize anything. "We had no idea that we crossed over the Dettah side and [were] headed to the East Arm," said Elson.
Dettah, Northwest Territories, Canada

Drinking Water Contaminated in Borgarfjörður Eystri
Residents of Borgarfjörður Eystri have had to boil their drinking water for two weeks due to coliform bacteria in their water sources. “This has probably come about because of soil subsidence [sinking ground] in the wet land in that area,” stated Glúmur Björnsson, a geologist at utilities contractor HEF Veitur.
Bakkagerði, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Lapland seeing high waters, unusually heavy snow
Unusually heavy rains in Lapland have caused water levels to rise near flood levels, and further rises will depend on temperatures over the next few days, with climate change being a contributing factor.
Enontekiö, Lapland, Finland
News

Melting glaciers increase supply of electrical power in Iceland
Melting glaciers in Iceland are contributing to an increased supply of electrical power. In the past ten years, the additional supply has amounted to one medium-sized power plant.
Iceland
RÚV

Permafrost slump near Alaska Highway in Yukon eats up 13 more metres of land
The slump is so close to the Alaska Highway, the Yukon government is moving the road, creating a new section that will help protect the only year-round road linking parts of the Yukon, and the U.S. state of Alaska, to the rest of the continent.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Homeowners along the Kenai River fight rising flood waters
The Kenai River has been running high ever since two glacier dammed lakes emptied into the river over the last few days. In the Kenai Keys subdivision near Sterling, the river is lapping at the doorsteps of the hundred or so homes that line the river. Longtime resident Frank Turpin said although he’s seen worse flooding, this one is significant. The road leading into the gated subdivision is flooded in numerous places although some vehicles can still make it through. Neighbors who live on higher ground have offered their yards for people wishing to store cars or other items until the waters recede.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

Protecting roads and water infrastructure from erosion
River erosion is impacting the road and requiring the replacement of health infrastructure.
Huslia, Alaska, United States
Lucy Snyder, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Max Neale

Borough declares local disaster for Talkeetna flood damage
In less than a day, the riverbank was eroded back more than 60 feet, threatening some cabins near the river.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Thousands are feared dead and thousands more are missing in flood-ravaged eastern Libya
Emergency workers uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna, and it was feared the toll could surpass 5,000 after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire neighborhoods of the city.
Derna, Libya
AP News

Unprecedented double glacial dam release brings flooding to the Kenai
Usually, the Snow Glacier and Skilak lakes release every two or three years. Both at the same time is unprecedented.
Skilak Lake

Drought in B.C. has salmon running 'a marathon in a sauna,' foundation warns
British Columbia's prolonged drought risks damaging the salmon population for generations and has led to a series of emergency, rapidly deployed projects in an effort to intervene. In the Comox Valley, aerators have been installed in the Tsolum River to maximize salmon survival by increasing dissolved oxygen levels, and work has started at the mouth of the Tranquille River to re-establish water flow between the upper and lower sections so salmon can migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. More than 80 per cent of the province is at Level 4 or 5 drought conditions, the highest possible rankings, after months of little or no rain.
Merritt, British Columbia, Canada
British Columbia

Farmed Salmon Caught in Rivers Across Northwest Iceland
Escapted farmed salmon threatens wild salmon stocks across Northwest Iceland, where it has entered rivers.
Patreksfjörður, Westfjords, Iceland
Iceland Review

Rain continues to impact Noatak River
Heavy rains have elevated river levels throughout August and September. High water continues to erode the river bank in the community. The photos show a tree that was 22 feet from the edge is know 3 feet. Total erosion has reached 91 ft. by old landfill and new mark shows 112 ft. marker.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
Jeffrey Luther, Richard L Thoman Jr, Michelle McAuley

High water in Kotzebue Sound
Water floods the Kotzebue lagoon. Grasses can be seen in July and a month later in August the water has risen 4-6 ft.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Jacquelyn Overbeck, Susan Tessier, Jimmy Evak, Nic Kinsman, Jacqualine Schaeffer

Beluga Whale Spotted in The Yukon River Near Tanana
The marine mammal was seen some 600 miles from where the river empties into the Bering Sea.
Tanana, Alaska, United States
Verena Gill, Barbara Mahoney, Rodney Evans

Lake Mjøsa overflows with round bales
The water has gone over the dam. Skjeggestad Kleven guesses that the water is 40-50 cm higher than during the flood in 1995.Gudbrandsdalslågen has brought large "tractor eggs" (hay bales) out into Lake Mjøsa. Now farmers are being criticised on social media for not securing adequately.
Ringebu, Innlandet, Norway
NRK

The evacuees in Hønefoss must be prepared to be away from their homes for several days
Storelva in Hønefoss continues to rise. The municipality is now evacuating several new residents for fear that homes will be taken by the water.
Braskereidfoss, Hedmark, Norway
NRK

Norway: Mobile home washes away after severe flooding from Storm Hans
A mobile home washed away in severe flooding after Storm Hans hit Hemsedal, Norway, on Tuesday, 8 August. The extreme weather has battered parts of Scandinavia and the Baltics for several days. Rivers have overflown, roads have been damaged and people have been injured by falling branches.
Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway
The Independent

Record flooding from Suicide Basin destroys one home, swamps others and cuts off access
A home collapses into the Mendenhall River on Saturday due to a record amount of flooding from Suicide Basin since an annual cycle of water release began there in 2011. Officials said nobody was injured when the house collapsed, but other structures along the riverbank are at risk. (Screenshot from video by Sam Nolan).
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

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