Following three years of droughts and water shortages in parts of Alberta, the provincial government has awarded a contract to WaterSMART Solutions to enhance drought modelling to mitigate the risk of a severe drought in 2024, a Jan. 15 news release said.
“We are taking action to make sure Alberta is fully prepared to navigate drought in 2024. The work we are announcing will help the province conduct advanced drought modelling and explore innovative ways to maximize Alberta’s water supply. This is all a key part of our efforts to continue our work to help conserve and manage water now and be prepared for uncertain conditions in the future,” Rebecca Schulz, Alberta minister of environment and protected areas, said in the release.
WaterSMART has unique and proven expertise in watershed management, including working in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. The release noted Alberta’s government is closely monitoring snowpack, rainfall, river levels and water use throughout the province to develop early warning capacity and understand how much water will be available this year. Using this data, WaterSMART will then help the province conduct advanced modelling and explore ways to make the best use of Alberta’s water. In the coming months, it will model realistic river flow scenarios that Alberta may experience.
“People, industry, agriculture and the environment all depend on water for survival. This project will help ensure effective water management practices are in place by bringing together the largest water users to collaboratively determine the best solutions for managing through uncertain water conditions this year,” Kim Sturgess, CEO of WaterSMART Solutions, said in the release.
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