COCHRANE, Alta. – The Bow River and its tributaries cover four percent of Alberta’s land base but serve more than a third of its population.
More than 70,000 people are moving into southern Alberta each year, adding pressure to an already stressed water system.
“This is a very hard-working river and the basin is very allocated,” said Jay White, who co-chaired a Bow River Basin report with biologist Gary Kindrat.
The report was spearheaded by the Bow River Basin Council, a volunteer group started in 1991 to protect the watershed that starts in the Rocky Mountains and meets the Oldman River and eventually connects to the South Saskatchewan River that moves across the Prairies and drains into Hudson Bay.
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The biggest demand on the river is an exploding population of more than one million people. Users include three major irrigation districts, First Nations groups, government and urban and rural municipalities.
A major question facing decision makers is whether to impose a moratorium on new water licences for the entire South Saskatchewan basin. New industrial and agriculture ventures could be affected.
New users may have to approach current licence holders who aren’t using their allotments about buying the unused amount.
White said the market will determine the price.
A major problem is limited information on how much water is available and how much is being used. Little is known about ground water supply but some may wish to draw on that for developments if there is not enough surface water.
“We are looking down a gun barrel right now. We have some major decisions to make in a reasonable amount of time,” said Kindrat, who is an environmental consultant.
The Bow River is the most regulated in the province with 11 power generation stations, as well as numerous dams and diversions. The river starts in the Rocky Mountains and is fed by glaciers that are significantly receding. As climate change continues, water supplies could diminish.
Human impacts on the river are great.
Waste water treatment has improved so fewer nutrients are being released, but that affects plant growth and insects so the fish are getting smaller.
However, storm water releases are a big polluter. Much of the storm water runoff comes from Calgary. It does not go through sewage treatment plants and carries fertilizer, pesticides, animal droppings and other waste.
“Some of the nastiest water coming out of the cities is waste water. It goes direct into the river or creek,” Kindrat said.
Irrigation is another major water user, but it has made some positive contributions, such as creating wetlands and reservoirs used to store water for recreation, agriculture and municipal uses.
The report makes a number of recommendations:
- An integrated watershed management plan is needed that shares information from various government departments and user groups.
- The basin balance must be measured. No one knows how much water is there or how much is used.
- A drought plan is needed.
- A disaster plan should be written. It must address incidents like chemical spills such as what occurred at Lake Wabumum in central Alberta last year when a train derailment dumped toxins into the water.
- Continued research and water monitoring is needed.
- Land and water use must be managed together.
The report has been circulated among politicians and other users, but the committee is not sure if decision makers understand that further growth in the region is limited by the water supply. Under an interprovincial agreement, Alberta must send 50 percent of its river water to Saskatchewan. So far, there has been no difficulty meeting that agreement.
“We can take a whole lot more but at what cost?” White said.
