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AOSERP Reports
The Alberta Oil Sands Environmental Research Program (AOSERP) ran from 1975 to 1985 and carried out surveys and research aimed at identifying the potential long-term impacts of oil sands development. The program focused on land, water, air and human systems and produced numerous reports. The program was managed by Alberta Environment.To view a list of available reports, please visit: http://www.osrin.ualberta.ca/Resources/DigitizedReports.aspx
TAKE NOTE: These reports are provided to give context and historical information. As they are old they may contain references to out-of-date legislation and policies. Readers should be cautious when using these materials and always refer to current legislation and policies.
Items in this Collection
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A review of aquatic biomonitoring with particular reference to its possible use in the AOSERP study area
Download1980
The general principles, approaches, and methods of aquatic biomonitoring are outlined from a review of the literature, with emphasis on those aspects directly applicable to the Alberta Oil Sands Environmental Research Program (AOSERP) study area. It is argued that an aquatic biomonitoring program...
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1979
The colonization of limestone bricks and bitumen coated limestone bricks by benthic river organisms was followed over time. After nine weeks of colonization, no massive increase in the numbers of bacteria on the bitumen was noted, suggesting that degradation was not proceeding rapidly. However,...
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1979
Seasonal and areal variations in significant water quality parameters in the Muskeg River basin of northeastern Alberta are described. Specific conductances and the concentrations of major ions (Ca+2, Mg+2, HCO3 -, and, to some extent, Na+ and Cl-) generally exhibited relatively stable seasonal...
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Characterization of organic constituents in waters and wastewaters of the Athabasca oil sands mining area
Download1978
The organic constituents of wastewaters discharged from the Great Canadian Oil Sands Ltd. (GCOS) plant and the Syncrude Canada Ltd. lease No. 17 were characterized and compared to those occurring naturally in the Athabasca River. Of the 16 chemical groups investigated in samples of upgrading...
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1979
Prior to 1975 information on surface water hydrology in the oil sands area was very limited. During 1975 and 1976 a number of hydrometric gauging stations were provided by AOSERP to bring the total number of stations in the area to 32. Measurements of standard water quality parameters began at...
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Heavy metals in bottom sediments of the mainstem Athabasca river system in the AOSERP study area
Download1978
Dredged sediments and sediment cores were collected from sites along the Athabasca River system from between Fort McMurray and the confluence of Riviere des Rochers with the Slave River. A selected sample suite representing all of the drainage units and textural variations was analysed by...
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1979-01-01
This report contains all the available suspended sediment discharge information for 1976 that was collected by Water Survey of Canada and by Alberta Oil Sands Environmental Research Program (AOSERP) personnel within the AOSERP study boundaries. Information on suspended sediment concentrations at...
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1977-01-01
Loeppky, K. D., Spitzer, M. O.
This report contains hydrometric data for the Alberta Oil Sands Environmental Research Program (AOSERP) study area to December, 1976. All available daily discharge data are contained within Appendices of this report. The report also contains annual hydrographs of discharge data, water level...
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1980
The present report is an update of the previous report, \"Interim Compilation of Stream Gauging Data, 1978\" (Project HY 1.1), and contains all available hydrometric data for the study area for the 1979 calendar year. Presented are daily discharges for streamflow stations with corresponding...
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Watersheds in the Alberta Oil Sands Environmental Research Program study area: Drainage basin delineations, watershed areas, and stream profiles
Download1980
This report contains watershed boundary delineations and associated drainage areas, and channel profiles on watersheds in the AOSERP study area. Included are watersheds larger than 50 km2 (20 mi2) tributary to the Athabasca River, and tributary sub-basins which contain standard hydrometric...