Covering more than 25,000 square kilometres, the Bow River Basin (BRB) begins in the Rocky Mountains where snow and melting glaciers feed the headwaters of the Bow River. From the mountains, the Basin extends through Banff National Park into the Foothills and Grasslands regions until it terminates just west of Medicine Hat, Alberta1.
Most of the water in the BRB originates in the Rocky Mountains where large amounts of snow accumulate. Because the mountains are steep, runoff and snow melt travels quickly down the tributary streams and into the Bow River itself.
The Foothills and Grassland regions receive less reliable precipitation than the Rocky Mountains, but they are home to ecosystems that depend on the cold water originating from melting mountain snow.
The BRB is the most densely populated region in Alberta, with the population growing by more than a quarter of a million people in the last ten years3. Although approximately 20% of the BRB is forest reserve, the Basin also supports industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and oil and gas4.
To determine the climate of a region, scientists compile data from various instruments including air temperature sensors and precipitation gauges. As can be seen in the instrument record, the average amount of precipitation in the BRB is between 511 millimeters per year near Banff, to 312 millimeters per year near Hays. The average maximum daily temperature in summer ranges by area from 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, and in the winter it ranges from -1 to -2 degrees Celsius. The data are from the instrument record compiled by Environment Canada.
Because the instrument record is relatively short (only approximately 100 years), scientists use information from the natural world to gain a better understanding of what the climate looked like thousands of years ago. Old trees, for example, provide a record of wet and dry years because the amount of growth each year is dependent on the amount of water available to the tree.
In the BRB, tree ring data from the past 800 years shows that there was much more variability and greater climate extremes than can be seen in the relatively short instrument record5. This information is significant because what happened in years past could theoretically happen again. Because of climate change, people living and working in the BRB need to be prepared for the possibility of even greater climate variability and extremes, as well as an overall trend of increasing temperatures.
Climate change is projected to increase air temperatures in the BRB. This is important because the natural pattern of flow in the Bow River is largely determined by when the snow in the Rocky Mountain headwaters melts. Right now, melting snow creates high river levels in the spring which taper off as the snow disappears, and the river flow is low in the late summer, sustained by glacier meltwater and intermittent rainfall events.
Warmer air temperatures will likely result in snow melting earlier in the spring. Due to this warming, researchers estimate that the spring snow melt in the Bow River could happen an average of two weeks earlier in the 2080s compared to now6. It will also likely cause precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow at some points in the year, particularly in the fall and spring.
Along with earlier spring runoff and rain instead of snow, scientists expect the BRB could have drier late summer months and increasing variability in precipitation from year to year7. Researchers also project that the BRB will experience more frequent and severe intensive storms that could potentially cause flooding8.
Because of the changing climate in the BRB, there will likely be several impacts on water users in the region. Specific challenges include the following:
Due to increased climate variability and extremes, steps must be taken to help make communities more resilient and adaptable to changes in water availability. The growing population and increased economic activity in the BRB will also make it challenging to ensure there is enough water for everything that needs it. It will be important to ensure water is not wasted and that everyone works to increase their water efficiency.
The positive impacts of water conservation can already be seen through the City of Calgary’s Water Efficiency Plan which aims to reduce water consumption by 30 per cent over 30 years10. The strategy has already reduced consumption in the city from 518 litres per person per day in 2003 to 356 litres per person per day in 2019. This conservation has enabled the population of the city to grow but to still consume less water in total!
Read about how you can improve your water efficiency here11.
Using less water is not the only answer to future water availability. We can also use water smarter. Greywater reuse, for example, is when we reuse water from activities such as doing the laundry to flush toilets or to irrigate our lawns and gardens. You can read more about greywater here12.
Finally, it may be possible to build more water storage in the BRB to capture and store water for crop irrigation and other activities when it is needed during drier periods. Reservoirs are an example of a storage system that may help ensure there is enough water through inconsistent and changing annual precipitation to support activities in the BRB.
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Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.
Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.
Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market. With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry.
Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector.
He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field.
Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation. As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.