Water available for future growth and economic development in southern Alberta

A study was conducted to determine the volume of unused water available from irrigation district water licenses amended for uses other than irrigation (‘other purpose uses’), the volume of unused water licensed for use in major urban and rural communities in the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan River sub-basins of the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB), the volume of water in licenses transferred from irrigation to other purpose uses, the potential water requirements for other purpose uses, and volumes available to support future opportunities for growth and economic development in the Alberta portion of the SSRB. Water license and transfer data were obtained from Alberta Environment and Parks. Historical water use data were collected from irrigation districts, major urban centres, and 12 rural communities in southern Alberta. Water supplied from irrigation district licenses for other purpose uses in 2014 was about 16.6 million m³, or 30.5% of the 54.5 million m³ available for other purpose uses through amendments to irrigation district water licenses. License amendment volumes for other purpose uses represent about 2.8% of the mean unused portion of irrigation district licenses, or about 3.8% of the unused portion of irrigation district licenses in the driest years from 2005 to 2014. Major urban centres and rural communities in the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan River sub-basins diverted a mean annual volume of about 304.1 million m³ or 43.9% of their total licensed allocations of 693.0 million m³ during the last decade. A substantial volume of water – about 426.7 million m³ – is currently available from irrigation district license amendments and from major urban centres and rural communities in the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan River sub-basins to support future growth and economic development.