An updated provincial drought plan provides a clearer picture of the situation in Alberta's river basins.
The province's 2024 Drought Response Plan was released in May and placed the entire province in Stage 4, the second-highest stage and a reflection of the widespread extremely dry conditions at the time.
"Since then, some areas have seen significant rains, while others are still experiencing droughts and water shortages," says a news release. "With conditions varying, a more targeted approach is needed."
In the updated plan, drought stages are classified by river basin. It is described as a multi-stage road map covering everything from conservation and water-sharing plans to outlining the triggers for prioritizing water use or declaring emergencies.
Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA) executive director Francine Forrest said the group supports the improvements to the information available, especially considering there are 12 water shortage advisories in place in the Red Deer River Basin.
"RDRWA is pleased with the refinement to the river basin and drought category rankings in the updated plan, as water shortage advisories continue to be reported for parts of the Red Deer River Basin," said Forrest.
"RDRWA has been having recent and ongoing discussions with many concerned citizens in our basin. The importance of water for our future is now top of mind with so many."
The province says the updated plan better reflects the conditions in each region, ranking them from Stage 0 (no drought conditions) to Stage 4 (significant drought conditions in multiple water management areas).
No basins are at Stage 5 (urgent and critical escalation of drought conditions leading to a water emergency declared under the Water Act).
Oldman and Milk River Basins remain at Stage 4, but other areas have seen their rankings change since May.
Red Deer River and Bow River Basins and the southern tributaries of the South Saskatchewan have been upgraded to Stage 3, which triggers detailed water supply and demand monitoring and modelling are implemented.
Key water users are contacted to collaborate on appropriate water conservation measures and support is provided to users not getting enough water. If users send out a priority call it will be assessed and actions taken if necessary, including the issuing of water management orders.
Water sharing agreements with large water licence holders, if activated, could impose water conservation measures to ensure water is available to as many users as possible.
This year's extremely dry conditions – the City of Red Deer had its fourth driest July since 1904 – have led to 36 water shortage advisories across Alberta.
Blindman River near Bluffton and Blackfalds and the Blindman and Lloyd Creek, near Bluffton, were posting zero water flow rates on Thursday, as was the Battle River near Ponoka.
Advisories are also in effect for the Middle Red Deer River at Matzhiwin and Onetree Creeks, Red Deer River below the city and including Parlby Creek, Ghostpine and Kneehill Creeks and part of the Rosebud River.
Water levels on Sylvan and Gull Lakes are also well below normal, and in the case of Gull Lake it's at historic lows.
Gull Lake's low water levels have left some marinas and docks high and dry. Many area residents have called for the restarting of a water stabilization project halted in 2018 due to concerns it could lead to spread of the invasive species, Prussian carp.
Since then, an effective filtering system has been developed and many want to see water once again pumped from the Blindman River into the lake to stabilize water levels.
Several open houses took place this week at lakeside communities and an online open house and webinar has been set for Aug. 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. To register for the online session go to alberta.ca/gull-lake-stabilization-engagement.
Water supply and how to manage it has clearly become a hot topic in central Alberta. About 250 people turned out for a public forum in Ponoka County last week to get an update on how the province regulates the use of its water for industry, farming and communities.
While water supplies from mountain runoff for the Red Deer River Basin were lower than normal from March to July, the forecast is average supplies for August and September.
For the latest drought updates go to www.alberta.ca/drought-current-conditions
