A robust mountain snowpack and a series of spring snowstorms have positioned most of Alberta for a strong water supply heading into the summer, according to the province’s latest water supply outlook.
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The positive forecast comes as a major relief following recent dry years, with river volumes through September expected to be above or well above normal for the North Saskatchewan, Red Deer, Bow and most of the Oldman river basins.
Data from the May Water Supply Outlook indicates that 92 per cent of surveyed mountain snowpack sites showed above-normal or well-above-normal conditions, with 15 per cent recording their highest snowpack levels on record.
“Most of Alberta is heading into the summer season in a much better situation than we’ve seen in recent years,” Grant Hunter, minister of environment and protected areas, said in a release. “Strong river flows, full reservoirs and additional mountain snowmelt still to come are all good news for communities, agricultural producers and the many industries that depend on a reliable source of water.”
Water storage levels in major reservoirs across southern Alberta are reported to be in very good shape, with normal capacity in the Red Deer River basin and above-normal levels in the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan basins. More than half of the province’s major river basins have been downgraded to Stage 0, indicating no drought conditions.
However, the outlook is not uniform across the province.
The Milk River basin in far southern Alberta is facing severe shortages, with river volumes through September forecast to be well below normal. Officials say early season runoff soaked directly into the dry soil rather than feeding the river.
Because of strict entitlements outlined in the Canada-U.S. Boundary Waters Treaty, Canadian irrigators in the basin can no longer draw water from the Milk River. As of late April, Canada was in a water deficit to the U.S. and virtually no natural flows remained in the river by early May. The basin is currently classified under Stage 3 drought conditions.
The province noted that household water use for the Town of Milk River remains unaffected by the irrigation shutdown and the government is currently exploring options for additional water flexibility that comply with the international treaty.
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