Alberta is no stranger to drought.
This year water users are working together to prepare for a predicted severe drought.
“This year, we are facing the challenge head-on,” Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said Friday.
Schulz announced the largest water-sharing agreements in Alberta’s 118-year history during a news conference Friday.
Through the agreements, 38 large water licence holders in Alberta will voluntarily reduce the water they use if severe drought conditions develop this spring or summer.
Schulz said recent snowfall has helped the situation, but the risk of drought remains.
“Here’s the thing about Albertans,” Schulz said. “We are resilient.”
The water licence holders who have agreed to reduce use if necessary represent up to 90 per cent of the water allocated in the Bow and Oldman basins and 70 per cent in the Red Deer River basin.
“These agreements will only be implemented or activated if needed,” Schulz said.
Sarah Elmeligi, New Democrat critic for environment and tourism said the government isn’t doing enough to combat drought.
“Today is postponing action,” Elmeligi said. “We’re in drought right now. Reservoirs are empty right now. These agreements should come into effect right now, not later when it might be too late.”
Elmeligi also criticized the lack of a drought emergency plan.
The Alberta Wilderness Association said the response prioritizes industry and irrigation over the environment.
The association said the agreements fail to recognize the needs of aquatic ecosystems, which require a certain volume of water for their health and function to be maintained.
There are four water-sharing agreements, one to cover each of the following sub-basins: the Red Deer River, the Bow River, the main stem of the Oldman River and the upper tributaries of the Oldman River.
Specific commitments are laid out in each individual memorandum of understanding.
Participating municipalities will reduce consumption by five to 10 per cent, and that will not affect indoor water use.
Participating industries will use only the minimum volume of water practical to maintain safe, reliable operations and will also look for additional water conservation opportunities.
The irrigation districts will use less water and allow other users to get their water first, then use the remaining water available for licensed use.
“When it comes to water this year, we must all make do with less,” said Alex Ostrop, who chairs the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association.
Ostrop told reporters irrigators have taken steps to prepare for a year when they will use about 50 per cent of the normal allotment of water.
“They have spent the spring making tough decisions,” Ostrop said.
Schulz said the agreements are voluntary, proactive, risk-based and agile enough to be adjusted in real time as conditions change.
The actual water amounts under the agreements will be updated every two weeks based on the latest water supply forecast.
Using a variety of hypothetical river flow scenarios and conditions and current conditions, exact water use for the following two-week period will be adjusted as needed to ensure that water use doesn’t outpace supply.
There are five triggers that will be considered when deciding if an agreement needs to be activated:
• Snowpack and moisture data.
• Final decisions by irrigation districts on water allocations per acre.
• Reservoir levels, river flows and expected seven-day precipitation forecasts.
• Water demand.
• Local challenges or issues.
Once peak snowpack data is available in late April, government and water users will meet regularly to assess next steps.
“It’s not just municipalities working alone, it’s not just industry working alone, it’s not just irrigators working alone, it’s all of us working together,” Ostrop said.
“Every little drop matters in the end.”
