Participants at a Louis Riel Race Competition on the Medicine River near Gilby, AB. (Angie Schroderus/Rocky Canoe Club)

By Jordan Rein

Nine years of drought

Central Alberta counties join forces to protect Medicine River Watershed

Jul 26, 2025 | 9:00 AM

Central Alberta counties are joining together to advocate for the “stressed” Medicine River Watershed.

The watershed, which intersects the counties of Clearwater, Lacombe, Ponoka and Red Deer is facing challenges amplified by nine years of drought, says Paul McLaughlin, Ponoka County Reeve.

McLaughlin, who’s also been a professional biologist for three decades, says people have indeed been noticing lower water levels in the region. “These aren’t mountain, snow fed rivers so they do respond [to drought]”.

He adds, due to its nature, it could be considered “more of a lake” than a river.

Sampling results from 2024 show the river was stressed, with dissolved oxygen levels too low, and the river’s average temperature too high.

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In response, Medicine River Watershed Society (MRWS) is a group of volunteer community members working to advocate for the responsible use of water by individuals and industry.

Notably, folks who drive along highways adjacent to the river will likely have noticed water being pumped out for use in fracking —an issue the group has been raising with the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER).

“Fracking is a permanent loss of fresh water,” says Dana Kreil, Lacombe County Division 7 councillor and chairperson for MRWS. “We would like industry to explore other methods for fracking— and we would like the province and the AER to start working on that.”

She says the group asked for a moratorium on fracking back in the spring, but adds, plenty of water has been drawn from the Medicine River since then.

Additionally, McLaughlin says he would like to make sure the province and the AER are on the same page to avoid disconnect between policy and licenses being issued.

He says he’d like to see any water diversion licenses to consider the MRWS’s concerns, such as vegetation, fisheries, and the river’s ability to maintain instream flow.

As part of its advocacy work, it’s encouraging residents to communicate concerns about water use to MLAs and Members of Parliament, as has been participating in educational events at local schools and at general public venues.

The group consists of chair Dana Kreil (Lacombe County), Nancy Hartford (Ponoka County), Genny Mehlhaff (Clearwater County), Karin Engen (Town of Eckville), and Brent Ramsay (Red Deer County).

The Medicine River is an approximately 80 km long river “as the crow flies”, which starts from Medicine Lake in Clearwater County and resolves near Dixon Dam in Red Deer County. However, its meandering nature causes it to stretch to around 400 km in total.