Will Calgary run out of water?

[Bertuzzied]

This article indicates the end of farming and fishing in the bow, but I read a more alarming article in the Herald last year. That said the Bow Glacier which feeds the bow river was melting away and that Calgary could be out of water in 30 years. Just to be safe i'll probabaly sell my house in 20 years. hehe.


Schindler warns the South Saskatchewan River, which feeds the Oldman River in deep southern Alberta, and the Bow River, which runs through Calgary, are under strain from agricultural and human use. "We're getting very close to dust-bowl conditions right now in that southern part of Alberta. In the past few years there have been black blizzards that have filled ditches from Calgary to Edmonton," he said. "It would pretty well spell the end of farming and we could forget about fishing in places like the Bow."

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...10615-sun.html

[Kaon]

I've seen quite a few articles on this issue in the last year or so, and while I'm not sure how critical things really are for the Calgary region, it is interesting to see just how close we are to tipping the balance to creating a dustbowl for communities further down along the Bow, Oldman, and South Saskatchewan rivers.

Just for some further reading, the government announced a moratorium on water licenses for the above 3 basins not too long ago. Which of course doesn't fix the problem, but should stop it from getting worse.

RiverKeeper article commenting: http://www.aenweb.ca/node/992

Government of Alberta Press Release August 30, 2006: http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200608/2043...E8EF4EF81.html

The reason I didn't include Calgary as being a part of the critical area is that not much water is drawn out of the basin until it reaches Calgary and the surrounding area. It's really any regions that rely on the water downriver from us that will really suffer.

[FlamesAddiction]

This sort of thing is right down my ally.

I worked as a junior researcher for a study done by the University of Lethbridge for the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research in 2004-05. (You can read our anual report here http://www.albertaingenuity.ca/forms..._2004-2005.pdf)

Climatic changes in the foothills and mountains in Montana are having a big effect on the St. Mary tributary alone. The river is fed by snow from that region and almost every year since 2000, there has been less and less. Lack of dynamic fluctuation of lows in all 3 tribs of the S.Sask Basin are destroying the riparian communities as well, which is leading to increased suspended sediment in the water. The Oldman is so low in some areas that you can literally walk across areas of the river that just a few years ago were under several feet.

The Milk River (not part of the S.Sask Basin) is also in dire shape, and is important to agriculture in both Montana and Alberta, and is destined to become a hot political issue again in the near future.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

This sort of thing is right down my ally.

I worked as a junior researcher for a study done by the University of Lethbridge for the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research in 2004-05. (You can read our anual report here http://www.albertaingenuity.ca/forms..._2004-2005.pdf)

Climatic changes in the foothills and mountains in Montana are having a big effect on the St. Mary tributary alone. The river is fed by snow from that region and almost every year since 2000, there has been less and less. Lack of dynamic fluctuation of lows in all 3 tribs of the S.Sask Basin are destroying the riparian communities as well, which is leading to increased suspended sediment in the water. The Oldman is so low in some areas that you can literally walk across areas of the river that just a few years ago were under several feet.

The Milk River (not part of the S.Sask Basin) is also in dire shape, and is important to agriculture in both Montana and Alberta, and is destined to become a hot political issue again in the near future.

So is that 30 year out of water thing a possibility?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Kobatuzzied

So is that 30 year out of water thing a possibility?

I've never actually looked at the data on that 30 prediction, but I know that many of the scientists concerned about this issue believe that running out sometime in our lifetimes is a possibilty.

Some have even been looking at how we can pump water from up north to Southern Alberta. The costs associated with that would be insane though. It would probably neutralize Alberta's oil money pretty quickly.

[Phaneuf3]

ah well, we'll probably all be dead by then anyway.

[ken0042]

I wonder if there might be another option for us. For example, Winnipeg gets its drinking water from Shoal Lake which is in Ontario. Are there any lakes close enough to us that we could tap into them for water?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I wonder if there might be another option for us. For example, Winnipeg gets its drinking water from Shoal Lake which is in Ontario. Are there any lakes close enough to us that we could tap into them for water?

hmmm how about chestemere? We'd prob drain that thing in a week!

Could they flood Cochrane and turn that into a lake?

[Clarkey]

I read in an article last year that this fear is not as bad as it appears and that only 1-2% of the bows water comes from melting glacier water. The rest is from melting snow and rain water. I am a big flyfisherman and the thought of the bow running dry is a great fear to me but the article I just referred to was somewhat calming. I don't know how valid it was or scientifically robust but I hope it was true.

[Neeper]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

I read in an article last year that this fear is not as bad as it appears and that only 1-2% of the bows water comes from melting glacier water. The rest is from melting snow and rain water. I am a big flyfisherman and the thought of the bow running dry is a great fear to me but the article I just referred to was somewhat calming. I don't know how valid it was or scientifically robust but I hope it was true.

Me too. I fish (as you can see from my sig) almost 3-4 times a week in the Bow. I couldn't imagine life without it. It helps me relieve the stresses of everyday life. It would be sad to see the world's best flyfishing river dissappear.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Neeper

Me too. I fish (as you can see from my sig) almost 3-4 times a week in the Bow. I couldn't imagine life without it. It helps me relieve the stresses of everyday life. It would be sad to see the world's best flyfishing river dissappear.

in the city? do you catch anything? The river looks so shallow right now. Doesnt' seem right.

[Shazam]

Oh yeah, I've seen people catch fish from Prince's Island Park and Bowness park.

[shoestring]

Originally Posted by Kobatuzzied

hmmm how about chestemere? We'd prob drain that thing in a week!

Could they flood Cochrane and turn that into a lake?

Chestemere is part of the Bow, the Bow fills it.
We have a new provincial park that will allow you to see "the lake" ,Bearspaw Dam.

I have lived in Sunnyside for many ,many years.
The variations on the flow control might be improved
but the river is in trouble ,like all water in Southern Alberta.
The next generation will ,sadly , be paying for all water.

If I had a billion dollars I would make the water as pure flowing into Sask. as it is coming out of our taps in AB.
I have pushed this for twenty or more years and finally people are being aware.
When Perrier first appeared on our shelves was too late.
Now there is so much work to be done. It is truly sad.

I don't fish ,but fishing is easy along the bow. But where does it become a concern? I am not optimistic ,sadly.
Bet on water. The most valuable resource bar none.

[Daradon]

Just as a human observing... Calgary has been getting dryer for years.

However with this global warming stuff, we've been very humid and have had lots (more than usual) precipitation over the last two years.

I have no idea.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by shoestring

Chestemere is part of the Bow, the Bow fills it.
We have a new provincial park that will allow you to see "the lake" ,Bearspaw Dam.

I have lived in Sunnyside for many ,many years.
The variations on the flow control might be improved
but the river is in trouble ,like all water in Southern Alberta.
The next generation will ,sadly , be paying for all water.

If I had a billion dollars I would make the water as pure flowing into Sask. as it is coming out of our taps in AB.
I have pushed this for twenty or more years and finally people are being aware.
When Perrier first appeared on our shelves was too late.
Now there is so much work to be done. It is truly sad.

I don't fish ,but fishing is easy along the bow. But where does it become a concern? I am not optimistic ,sadly.
Bet on water. The most valuable resource bar none.

Good post. There is a company based in Montreal that has developed a technique of purifying water from oil and gas wells instead of wasting it or sending it back downhole. Future generations will have to look at things like this for their water sources. There's still lots of it, just takes a little more to get to it. In the oil feilds, you cant just poke a hole in the ground and put a well in nor can you run a hose to a river and pump water out.

Anything new on the removal of the weir by Memorial/Deerfoot?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Anything new on the removal of the weir by Memorial/Deerfoot?

OK, while we are on the subject; what exactly does the weir do? Other than create a hazzard in the water. What is its purpose?

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by ken0042

OK, while we are on the subject; what exactly does the weir do? Other than create a hazzard in the water. What is its purpose?

It's used for flood control and to divert water to irrigation canals if I recall correctly. They can now do this with man made rapids and eddys to capture the water needed which is the plan. It would allow for travel all the way from Calgary to Carsland weir.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Neeper

Me too. I fish (as you can see from my sig) almost 3-4 times a week in the Bow. I couldn't imagine life without it. It helps me relieve the stresses of everyday life. It would be sad to see the world's best flyfishing river dissappear.

Forget the Bow, I just hope Frenchman's Creek never dries up.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by troutman

Forget the Bow, I just hope Frenchman's Creek never dries up.

Is there even a Frenchman's Creek in Alberta or is that your code-word for your secret spot. If so, I've got a Frenchman's Creek too.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Is there even a Frenchman's Creek in Alberta or is that your code-word for your secret spot. If so, I've got a Frenchman's Creek too.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.