Alberta to study long-term water security for future growth

The Alberta government has announced plans to conduct a long-term study regarding the province’s water security to support growing population, industry, and agricultural demands. Environment Minister Grant Hunter stated that the initiative aims to look “100 years ahead” to determine necessary investments and management strategies to secure the water supply for future generations.

The province faces a geographic imbalance, with much of the available water supply located in the north, while southern regions face high demand. Several southern river basins, including the Bow, Oldman, and South Saskatchewan, have been closed to new water diversion licenses for nearly twenty years. Additionally, Alberta must navigate cross-jurisdictional limitations for basins shared with Saskatchewan and the United States.

The study will involve reviewing international large-scale water transfer projects, such as the California aqueduct and China’s South-North Water Transfer system, to evaluate the feasibility of similar long-distance water transport systems within Alberta.