Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinordi
What could go wrong in a city watered by glacial runoff when the glaciers are gone?
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The answer to that particular canard is not a whole lot:
http://wsow.brbc.ab.ca/index.php?opt...=219&Itemid=89
Quote:
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Glacial meltwater contributes only about 2.5% of the total annual flow in the Bow River upstream of Banff, but in low flow years, it can contribute up to 16%. During the summer months, these contributions are about 7% during average flow years, but in the lowest flow year (1970), 47% of the August flows upstream of Banff came from glacial meltwater.
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The vast majority of the Bow River watershed is sourced from snowmelt and rain that in addition to filling reservoirs, also naturally refreshes alpine ground water that is then released in the late summer/fall months.
Calgary water consumption was 176 billion L/year in 2015 which works out to ~5.6 m3/s. The flow rate of the bow river is ~129 m3/s.