ALBERTA In March, the Alberta government released the Surface Water Quantity Framework, guidelines on how much water oil sands industries can extract from the Athabasca River. Leading freshwater scientist David Schindler calls the guidelines "pathetic."

Significantly, they do not include an ecosystem base flow - a best practice that protects the river during low-flow periods, when the aquatic system requires all available water for basic functioning. First Nations and Métis communities called for stronger water withdrawal limits to protect the functioning of both the riverand the Peace-Athabasca Delta. Instead, senior oil sands operators such as Suncor and Syncrude have been granted exemptions from this bare minimum standard. What remains to be seen, however, is the impact of new NDP Premier Rachel Notley's ambitious environmental goals on the current and future water use guidelines. ajlinks.ca/WaterFail