Alberta’s current water allocation system provides water for users who hold licences. In times of water shortages, those who hold senior water licences are entitled to use their allocation of water before junior licence holders.
Learn more about the governance of water licences, transfers, and allocations.
In addition to The Water Act, the Water for Life Strategy is a policy document developed by the Government of Alberta to help manage Alberta’s water resources, including those of the Bow River basin. The strategy, first implemented in 2003, has helped guide Alberta’s water management with three main goals:
Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy commits to wise water management practices that ensure the longevity of the resource for future generations.
In the Bow River basin, water management is critical due to competing uses of the resource in the basin. While this basin covers a smaller area compared to other basins in Alberta, it includes emerging energy development, growing municipalities, and agricultural needs which impact water use and demand. To address competing water needs, the Approved Water Management Plan for the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) was launched in 2006 to guide a new era of water management across the SSRB (including the Bow River sub-basin).
As part of this plan AEP formally closed parts of the SSRB, including the Bow River basin, to new surface water allocations, particularly in response to increased water demands from agricultural, municipal, and industrial users. This action was also implemented to restore and protect instream flow needs. In addition to this closure, AEP recommended the following actions:
Together, The Water Act, Water for Life Strategy, and Approved Water Management Plan for the SSRB provide a foundation and framework for water management in the Bow River basin. Furthermore, these rules and regulations provide direction when addressing the management of energy, agricultural, and municipal development occurring in the Bow River basin.
Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy supports a system of shared responsibility for water management, in which government engages the public and individuals living in each basin to provide input based on their interests and expertise. Due to the differences between Alberta’s seven major basins, this approach also intends to identify the unique challenges and opportunities with water supply, use, and quality that face each basin. It is important to note that the public decides on recommendations based on their perspective and circumstances. These recommendations are provided to government, who determines the impact of the recommendations on the application of regulations and policy. Thus, decision-making occurs at all levels.
In addition to individuals, there are organizations that operate in the basin and also provide recommendations to government. For example, under the Water for Life Strategy, Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs) are recognized as representing local interests and expertise within each basin. WPAC’s are multi-stakeholder, non-profit organizations that help the provincial government by assessing the state of their watershed through regular reporting and activities . WPACs also work with government to provide collaborative activities such as; public consultation, advisory groups, and collaborative alliances, as well as community and individual stewardship.
In the Bow River basin, the Bow River Basin Council (BRBC) is the active WPAC and advisory body to the Minister of Environment and Parks. The open general membership of the BRBC elects representatives to the Board of Directors, which in turn, oversees the activities of the Executive Director and staff. Thus, the BRBC is an inclusive, cooperative, and collaborative organization that aims to engage all stakeholders within the basin to advance the health of the watershed . When specific actions are recommended to AEP, the BRBC Board of Directors will approve each recommendation prior to it being sent to AEP. The primary goal of the BRBC is to help the basin achieve high water standards that enable the basin to be a national leader in water management.
In addition to the above mentioned policy initiatives, numerous other policies influence management of the Nexus concept in the Bow River basin, including Alberta’s Integrated Resource Management System, the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP), and Cumulative Effects Management.
Alberta’s Integrated Resource Management System manages the cumulative effects of Alberta’s energy, mineral, forest, agriculture, land, air, water, and biodiversity resources . This approach mimics the broader Nexus concept in that it provides clear objectives to operators in the basin, aligns natural resources with environmental policies, and uses environmental, social, and economic data to inform decision-making.
The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) is another integral policy that informs ongoing activities in the Bow River basin. This Plan was first implemented in September 2014 and resides under Alberta’s Land-Use Framework – the policy that administers the regional planning process in the province. The SSRP provides a long-term vision for sub-basins including the Bow River basin to balance environmental, social and economic goals. The Plan also clearly identifies Alberta’s long term commitment to conservation, protection of watersheds, sustaining biodiversity and sensitive habitats, and to the continued growth and prosperity of southern Alberta .
Finally, Cumulative Effects Management (CEM) is another policy related to the collective management of Alberta’s resources that focuses on the achievement of outcomes. This policy also considers the impacts of multiple development pressures, risk assessments, collaborative work, and the integration of environmental, social and economic considerations . CEM is mainly used in the development of regional plans throughout Alberta, including the Bow River basin.
* For the purposes of the Alberta Water Nexus Project pilot, the ultimate decision-maker is the designated Water Director at Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP), since this person issues approvals and/or licences under Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and Water Act . However, the general public and numerous other actors in the basin, such as municipalities, businesses, and watershed groups such as the Bow River Basin Council (BRBC), help inform and recommend actions that impact the Director’s decisions. As a result, we use the term ‘decision-makers’ to capture all actors who contribute to decisions that affect the basin’s water resources.
We provide Canadian educational resources on water practices to promote conservation and sustainability. Our team crafts current and relevant content, while encouraging feedback and engagement.
The Canada WaterPortal is a registered charity, #807121876RR0001
We recognize and respect the sovereignty of the Indigenous Peoples and communities on whose land our work takes place.
© 2024 All Rights Reserved.
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.