Achi news desk-
ETHBRIDGE, ALTA. –
The province has announced the largest water sharing agreement in Alberta history, which will see Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, among other municipalities, cut water usage.
More than three dozen stakeholders are pledging to cut back on water use so there is enough water to go around in case of a drought.
Despite the recent snow, many are predicting severe drought in Alberta this summer, especially in the south.
The new water sharing agreement is intended to help mitigate the impact of this summer’s drought.
“Thanks to these progressive new water sharing agreements, communities will have the water they need to drink, to ensure we protect people’s health, to fight wildfires too,” said Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz .
The agreement includes four separate agreements for the Red Deer River, Bow River and the main and upper Oldman River tributaries.
The agreement will see Lethbridge and other municipalities including Medicine Hat cut water usage by 10 per cent.
“We will ask people and encourage things like xeriscaping, using rain barrels, anything they can do. Shortened shower time to reduce that time to no more than five minutes,” said Joel Sanchez, director of infrastructure services for the City of Lethbridge.
Participating industries will use the minimum amount of water required to maintain operations.
Irrigation areas are also cutting back and will use whatever water is left over.
“Irrigation areas are going to make sure there is enough for human health as a top priority and livestock. Crops will have to come last,” said Shannon Frank, executive director of the Oldman Watershed Council.
The water sharing agreement is in response to an unusually dry winter which has left rivers and reservoirs much drier than usual.
Less snowpack than usual also means spring runoff may not be able to fill reservoirs.
“The snowpack is at the very low end of the natural range so they may not fill completely,” Frank said.
The City of Lethbridge is considering all options to cut back on water, including mandatory water restrictions that could begin as early as next month.
“The main factors here will be water levels in the reservoirs. The river is flowing, the water level is coming through the rivers and at the same time we are using the snow pack,” said Sanchez.
The environment minister says a decision will be made on whether to act on the agreement when snowpack data comes in later this month.
Starting in May, water amounts will be updated every two weeks.
