Water strategy talks expected as significant drought looms
State-of-emergency talks could begin as early as April: environment minister
Rain, snow, water conservation — Alberta will take it all as the shadow of drought looms ever larger.
Barring those, come April, talks about an unprecedented state of water emergency could begin in earnest, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz said Wednesday.
While the province was in Stage 4 of drought measures in the last months of 2023, this year, Alberta's already there — and spring's not even here yet.
“Right now we are at level four, and we have been there for the last number of months last year,” Schulz said at an announcement about Budget 2024's proposed water management measures.
“I would anticipate in April, we might have more specifics on what we think we're going to need, what a potential emergency would look like. Obviously, that would be a very extraordinary circumstance that would allow government to start directing and making decisions on water allocation and priority,” she said.
“We're hoping that we can avoid that through the discussions that we're having right now.”
Come April, some shortcuts will likely be sought.
“There will be policy or regulatory changes that we can make sooner rather than later just to help give us the flexibility we need to manage the drought that we are anticipating this year,” said Schulz.
It's been almost a quarter-century since the province was this dry, she said.
“2001 was when we saw the last drought to this extent,” Schultz said, noting that it's been seven years since the last El Nino weather pattern now bearing down on North America.
WATER SHARING CONVERSATIONS
In the interim, dozens of water sharing agreement conversations around the province have been asking what portion of water allocations are being used, what can be done to conserve water, and what can be shared.
Discussion about inter-basin diversions has come up in talks with irrigation districts, she said.
Further inter-basin diversions would depend on where this year's shortages occur, and potential impacts on biodiversity, she said.
“It's one of the ideas that's been brought forward in terms of one of the ways that we can meet those needs, especially in southern Alberta, with water from other basins,” she said.
“This is something we could look at. We'd want to obviously ... do our work to make sure that we're not impacting the current allocation commitments that we have in terms of the flow-through of water we're expected to pass through, whether that be to Saskatchewan, to Northwest Territories or to Montana.”
Schulz said the province is studying ways to reuse water left from the oilsands mining process.
“Review work is going to be beginning right away in terms of what might be some of the other uses of treated oilsands mine water and how could we reuse that water in other industries or for other purposes,” she said.
Additional meetings with Saskatchewan over water passed through from Alberta can be expected.
“What has often been raised with me is the fact that we pass along more than our obligated share of water into Saskatchewan,” Schulz said. “How are we maximizing the water infrastructure? We have to make sure that we're actually using the water allocation that we have access to, and not allowing that all to continue on through into other jurisdictions as well,” she said.
WATER MODELLING
The province recently contracted with Water Smart for some specific modelling on the province's future water prospects, and is also working on getting a clearer picture of the province's groundwater supply, Schulz said.
Construction of the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir (SR1), just west of Calgary, designed to store water during flooding, is expected to be completed by 2025.
Feasibility studies on options for the Bow River Reservoir, on the western edge of Calgary, are expected to be completed this year,
while the Brooks-area Eyremore Dam study will begin this year.
FOUR PILLARS
The provincial government is looking for ways to shore up “four pillars”: share, store, conserve, and manage water, said Schulz.
The proposed 2024 budget allows $35 million to help maximize how water is used and help prevent effects of future droughts from affecting communities.
Some $23 million over three years would be spent improving the province's water-management system, increasing water availability for communities and businesses.
Under water storage, the budgeted amount would provide $4.5 million to study a new Ardley Water Reservoir in the Red Deer basin, and to launch a provincewide review to determine other areas where new water storage projects would be most beneficial.
The budget would provide $8.7 million for the Wetland Replacement Program and $3.5 million for the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program to improve Alberta's natural drought protection.
Since 2020, more than $14 million has been spent on the Wetland Replacement Program, restoring 440 hectares of wetlands in partnership with eight municipalities and two non-profit organizations. This includes $4 million in landowner payments to rural Albertans participating in the program.
Since 2020, more than $11 million has been invested in the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program.
Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program applications for 2024-25 will open later this year.
Municipalities and non-profit organizations are eligible to receive funding under the Wetland Replacement Program, with applications taken year-round.