Red Deer to participate in provincial workshop on drought prevention and potential water-sharing agreements

The South Saskatchewan River Basin includes the sub-basins of the Bow, Red Deer, and Oldman Rivers that trickle down to create the South Saskatchewan River system, later connecting east across the country.

Red Deer’s water comes from the Red Deer River and the connecting Glennifer Reservoir, an artificial lake formed from the creation of the Dickson Dam.

Alex Monkman, Water Superintendent for the City, says that water levels in the reservoir are slightly lower than normal, but not to a concerning degree in comparison to southern Alberta regions.

He says the threat of drought began last year with low levels of precipitation; however, the central region was aided by a wet climate in Edmonton.

He adds that next week, all water license holders, like municipalities and irrigation districts, within the South Saskatchewan River Basin will meet in Calgary for the workshop to discuss with the provincial government on what can be done to prevent and address a drought as well as potential water-sharing agreements.

The City uses about 50 per cent of the water allocated to them in their license annually, Monkman confirmed. While their licenses combine to 27,528,500 m3 per year, in 2023 the city used 14,149,771, or roughly 51 per cent.

Once water is treated at the water plant downtown, it is also distributed to their regional customers through underground pipes: the northern commission, which includes Blackfalds, Lacombe, and Ponoka, and Red Deer County, each having their own water licenses and using about 40 per cent of their allotment, Monkman says.

He states one possibility from the workshops includes the agreement for all license holders to reduce their water consumption by a percentage.

“For all of the water licenses in the South Saskatchewan River Basin, doing a five per cent decrease is a significant amount of water,” he said.

He adds this would also ensure that Alberta can meet its interprovincial agreement to provide 50 per cent of its water to Saskatchewan.

For Red Deerians, he says, the City will put out guidelines on their website if drought-prevention measures are needed. While currently in Stage 1, where water conservation guidelines like restricted lawn watering hours are voluntary, the City would need to move into Stage 2, which consists of mandatory guideline enforcement, like allocating days for when odd and even-numbered addresses can water their lawns. Other water conservation measures include rebate programs, drought education on how residents can help, and communications collaboration with regional customers.

Attributing the current weather to El Niño, a climate pattern of unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Monkman says he hopes the province will come together to create improved water saving initiatives, as they did in the early 2000s with the Water for Life program, allowing municipalities to apply for funding for new regional water supply, treatment, and wastewater facilities.

“It’s a good way to be more conscious on how much water you use and to think about it a bit more. I think people take water and the wastewater systems for granted sometimes where the water, you turn the tap on, and you get it,” he said, adding that consumers can start to reduce water consumption with shorter showers, turning off the water while brushing their teeth, and reducing lawn watering.

Monkman says he has not heard of any trucking planned for shipping treated water to areas in need; however, the province has pipes that can interconnect various watersheds.

For more information on Alberta’s River Basins and advisories, visit the Rivers Alberta website.

—–

Download the rdnewsNOW mobile app on Google Play and the Apple App Store for all the latest updates on this and other stories.

by Alessia Proietti

Red Deer to participate in provincial workshop on drought prevention and potential water-sharing agreements

What's Trending