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WATER MANAGEMENT & CONSERVATION IN THE OLDMAN WATERSHED
Listen to the news these days, and you're sure to hear about water shortages, rationing and water conservation. Some people living in cities might not be as aware of water issues: they just turn on the tap and clean drinking water comes out! People living in rural areas tend to be more aware of water issues because they are often dependent on water from a nearby creek or river or from a well on their property. Some landowners might even watch their water source dry up every summer.
Where does our water come from, where does it go, and how is it managed in the Oldman River Basin? Managing something as fluid and ever changing as water is no easy task. In Alberta we have a system that allows people (including municipalities, irrigators and industries) to purchase a licence to use water from the rivers. Everyone is allocated a portion of the water. The chart below shows how the water is allocated in the Oldman River Basin.
Adapted from South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Allocation, Alberta Environment, May 2003.
Note: Other Uses includes habitat enhancement, oilfield injection, fish management, and recreation.
In 1999, Alberta Environment initiated a Water Management Planning Process that looked at water demand and supply and the aquatic environment throughout the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB). This initiative brought together a diverse group of people in each sub-basin (Red Deer, Bow River, Oldman River and the South Saskatchewan sub-basin) who formed Basin Advisory Councils. The Oldman Basin Advisory Council researched water issues and conservation concerns in the Oldman Basin and made recommendations to the province. You can view these recommendations here (1,456 KB PDF).
In Alberta, the Water Act governs water licenses. Since 1894, over 20,000 water licenses have been issued in the SSRB. However, in some rivers the allocations actually exceed the natural flows in drier years - that means that in some rivers, there may not be enough water to meet the needs of the licence holders. Fortunately, water storage through dams, patterns of use, return flow and weather conditions (wet seasons) regularly ease the situation. As well, not all licence-holders use all the water allocated by their licence - irrigators and municipalities regularly use much less than they are allowed, which means more water in the river.
Studies have also shown that in many cases, basic environmental requirements were not being met. In some areas the environment (trees, fish, etc) was adversely or negatively affected. As well, Alberta has an Apportionment Agreement with Saskatchewan that guarantees at least 50% of the total annual water from the South Saskatchewan Basin will flow into Saskatchewan. Given our increasing demand for water, it is clear that southern Alberta faces some big water challenges.
Basically, Oldman River Basin residents are facing:
It is for these reasons that the Oldman BAC recommended that Alberta Environment:
To find out more about allocation in the South Saskatchewan Basin, or the water management plan, please visit the SSRB Water Management Planning website.
Sources:
Alberta Environment. May 2003. South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Allocation.
Alberta Environment. March 2004. South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Management Plan: Phase Two - General Overview.
South Saskatchewan River Basin Advisory Committees. June 2004. Water Management Recommendations - A Report to Alberta Environment.
Where does our water come from, where does it go, and how is it managed in the Oldman River Basin? Managing something as fluid and ever changing as water is no easy task. In Alberta we have a system that allows people (including municipalities, irrigators and industries) to purchase a licence to use water from the rivers. Everyone is allocated a portion of the water. The chart below shows how the water is allocated in the Oldman River Basin.
Adapted from South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Allocation, Alberta Environment, May 2003.
Note: Other Uses includes habitat enhancement, oilfield injection, fish management, and recreation.
In 1999, Alberta Environment initiated a Water Management Planning Process that looked at water demand and supply and the aquatic environment throughout the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB). This initiative brought together a diverse group of people in each sub-basin (Red Deer, Bow River, Oldman River and the South Saskatchewan sub-basin) who formed Basin Advisory Councils. The Oldman Basin Advisory Council researched water issues and conservation concerns in the Oldman Basin and made recommendations to the province. You can view these recommendations here (1,456 KB PDF).
In Alberta, the Water Act governs water licenses. Since 1894, over 20,000 water licenses have been issued in the SSRB. However, in some rivers the allocations actually exceed the natural flows in drier years - that means that in some rivers, there may not be enough water to meet the needs of the licence holders. Fortunately, water storage through dams, patterns of use, return flow and weather conditions (wet seasons) regularly ease the situation. As well, not all licence-holders use all the water allocated by their licence - irrigators and municipalities regularly use much less than they are allowed, which means more water in the river.
Studies have also shown that in many cases, basic environmental requirements were not being met. In some areas the environment (trees, fish, etc) was adversely or negatively affected. As well, Alberta has an Apportionment Agreement with Saskatchewan that guarantees at least 50% of the total annual water from the South Saskatchewan Basin will flow into Saskatchewan. Given our increasing demand for water, it is clear that southern Alberta faces some big water challenges.
Basically, Oldman River Basin residents are facing:
existing licenses
+
protecting the aquatic environment
+
future growth
= more water than is available
+
protecting the aquatic environment
+
future growth
= more water than is available
It is for these reasons that the Oldman BAC recommended that Alberta Environment:
- Close the basin to new irrigation allocations.
- Improve the amount and timing of flows where possible, to improve water quality and better meet the needs of riparian areas (habitat along rivers and creeks).
- Stop issuing licenses on the southern tributaries (the Waterton, Belly, and St. Mary Rivers) of the Oldman River until further research determines if more water withdrawals are environmentally possible.
- Establish long-term Water Conservation Objectives (minimum and variable flows) for the southern tributaries, which would be achieved through voluntary actions by license holders.
To find out more about allocation in the South Saskatchewan Basin, or the water management plan, please visit the SSRB Water Management Planning website.
Sources:
Alberta Environment. May 2003. South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Allocation.
Alberta Environment. March 2004. South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Management Plan: Phase Two - General Overview.
South Saskatchewan River Basin Advisory Committees. June 2004. Water Management Recommendations - A Report to Alberta Environment.
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