Alberta is drafting a water emergency plan due to drought, low water levels

The Alberta government is drafting plans in case a water emergency needs to be declared after three years of droughts and water shortages have led to the risk of a “dire” situation.

Snowfall is “well below average,” many rivers are at or near record lows, and multiple reservoirs remain “well below capacity,” according to the province. There are currently 51 water shortage advisories province-wide, with most of southern Alberta experiencing a water shortage.

Oldman River at the west end of the Oldman Reservoir. The pipes on either side of the water are the intakes for the Cowley regional drinking water system. These intakes have been out of the water since July 2023. (Government of Alberta)

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Plus, with the warmer-than-average winter Alberta has been experiencing, there is a high risk that the province could experience a worsening drought this year.

Exacerbating the problem is El Niño, a weather pattern producing a warm and dry winter across Canada, with more than 70% of the country currently experiencing drought conditions.

The moisture situation in Alberta risks becoming dire in 2024.

Water shortage advisories exist across numerous basins, with the province being in water management stage 4.

If spring snows and rains fail to materialize, Alberta will likely take the unprecedented step to… pic.twitter.com/Lu9xbN0AKu

— Kyle Brittain (@BadWeatherKyle) January 22, 2024

Alberta has five water management stages, with Stage 1 being a minor drought and Stage 5 a province-wide emergency.

At Stage 5, the province may declare an emergency under the Water Act, indicating a significant risk to human health, safety, and aquatic environments due to insufficient water supply. Alberta is currently in Stage 4.

Government of Alberta

Declaring an emergency under the Water Act would be unprecedented. It could see the province suspend the operation of all or part of any existing approvals, licences, or registrations related to water management.

The province has already taken steps to manage the situation should it persist, and declaring an emergency would be an “absolute last resort,” Ryan Fournier, press secretary to the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, told Daily Hive.

“There is a high risk that Alberta could experience a worsening drought this year, and we have taken direct action,” he stated.

“Alberta’s government has stood up a Drought Command Team and a first draft of a 2024 Drought Emergency Plan is now being refined. We are also using advanced modelling and working with irrigation districts, municipalities, industry, and other partners to start planning now in case water is in short supply.”

Crowsnest River at Highway 510 (Government of Alberta)

The government said it will continue to work with municipalities, water users, farmers, and industry should more moisture fail to transpire to ensure preparedness for the possibility of a severe drought in 2024.