Drought: Southern Alberta taking proactive measures to safeguard water resources
The Government of Alberta has launched a number of new studies looking at where new reservoirs could be built
In 2023, a low snowpack and an early spring kicked off a drought year in southwest Alberta that saw water levels in the Oldman Reservoir spike before trending below average through the summer.
In fact, by mid-August, under high demand from downstream irrigators, a water intake supplying several hundred users near the west end of the reservoir was exposed. The MD of Pincher Creek had to truck water to nearby communities like Cowley for months.
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“We spent roughly $1.5 million to augment our water supply, which obviously was a big hit to a small muni like us,” David Desabrais, MD of Pincher Creek Utilities & Infrastructure Manager, told The Weather Network.
It became clear that a long-term solution was necessary to protect against future drought years, and so the MD installed a new, lower intake system to directly access the river system running beneath the reservoir. And now, with another summer of uncertainty on the horizon, they’re glad they did it.
“With the snowpack in the mountains, it’s shaping up that it could be a similar year to 2023,” Desabrais said.
(The Weather Network)
Hydrologist Tricia Stadnyk concurs, stating that the conditions once again favour drought on the Prairies this year.
“We’re really seeing a large absence of snow relative to normal conditions,” she said.
A warm beginning to winter resulted in low soil moisture levels, as early snowfall melted and evaporated quickly. Additionally, winter did not fully establish itself in 2025 across much of the Rockies south of Jasper.
In 2024, we had very low snowpacks,” Stadnyk added. “In 2025, we were at 2024 levels or even below that.”
Any relief ahead this summer?
The Weather Network’s summer forecast calls for hot weather across the Prairies this year. And while drought severity will vary widely from location to location, some regions could again experience what many were likely hoping was a once-in-a-generation water challenge.
(The Weather Network)
Stadnyk noted the trend confirms the need for more long-term adaptations and an everyday focus on conservation.
“The writing is on the wall,” she said. “If you look at the last ten years, we’ve been in and out of drought conditions in the spring, having the same conversation over and over again.”
The Government of Alberta has launched a number of new studies looking at where new reservoirs could be built. They’ve also committed more than $100 million to a grant program to help communities protect themselves from drought and flood. The MD of Pincher Creek’s new intake project was one of the first to benefit from that funding and highlights the efforts it will take to build a more resilient future on the Prairies.