Water levels near average

MOST OF PROVINCE GOT MORE THAN AVERAGE AMOUNT OF SNOW

With climate change an alarming issue across the globe, the question of water shortages, even in countries with as much fresh water as Canada, has become a hot topic.

However, as high volumes of snow settle across the scenic peaks of the Rocky Mountains, water levels within southern Alberta appear to be sitting close to average as winter comes to an end.

“Most of the province got more than the average amount of snow this winter,” says Zahid Qureshi, river forecast engineer for Alberta Environment & Parks.

“And although there are many factors that can affect flooding and water levels on the ground, right now from the data collected on March 1, we’re seeing close to average levels across all of Alberta.”

With studies being conducted and compared to provincial averages over the past 30 years, the most recent report took a look at the current mountain snowpack levels for this year and saw that although some places saw higher snowpack levels than in previous years, the mountain runoff forecasts are sitting at a comfortable average so far.

With the Oldman River Basin seeing a snowpack range from 113 per cent at Allison Pass to 159 per cent at Akamina Pass, these levels sit above the normal range.

However, the levels of natural mountain runoff forecasted for the area this year through to September, are still predicted to stay within the average realm.

Jeff Woodward, a manager in the Engineering Division for Hydrological Operations and Engineering Services North and West, also added the St. Mary Milk River basin that runs throughout southern Alberta has also seen good levels of snowpack so far in 2018 with promising water supply for the spring.

“In general, there’s good snowpack down there this year,” explains Woodward. “The water supply outlook is really good, with the plains mostly seeing snow from settled from February and early March that have left a lot of water potential on the ground there.”

With last year’s southern Alberta region seeing dry land with low reservoirs, Woodward added that hopes for this year’s water levels to return back to normal once again remain high as spring rolls around with plenty of snow still on the ground.

“There’s a good outlook for spring,” he adds. “However, last year's severe change from wet to dry caused a lot of problems in not being able to build up a deficit to allow for needs such as farmers and (their) irrigation last summer, and there’s a chance that we may be looking at a similar problem this year depending on just how wet or dry the summer months are.”

With runoff water levels from the mountains snowpack looking stable in upcoming months, soil moisture throughout the prairie lands, just as Woodward suggested, has been another important factor to people within the province.

With March’s report showing signs of lower soil moisture content than normal, Qureshi adds indications do show a positive prediction of soil absorption this spring as the snow begins to melt.

“Southern Alberta right now has lower soil moisture content than normal; however, the report indicates that when the snow starts melting, a big portion may go directly into the soil itself — depending on the air temperature moving forward.”

With high snow levels, average water runoff predictions and possible soil moisture absorption, the overall water levels for the province so far sit close to previous averages. However, Qureshi notes that with summer just around the corner, water shortages or chances of flooding further into the future will directly depend on precipitation in the upcoming months and not on fallen snow.