Alberta is a province with a very diverse climate. The consequence is that some watersheds capture large amounts of water for downstream users, while other watersheds capture almost no water.

Agriculture, energy, and economic development over the last century has transformed Alberta. Water often remains a significant limiting factor to population growth, economic development and environmental protection. Whether one considers irrigation, tourism, recreation, or the economic development in urban and rural areas, water remains the key to unlocking new opportunities. When we dd in the uncertainties  associated with climate change, it is clear that an inventory of current water resources is the first step towards prudent water resources management.

Map - Where does our water come from in Alberta?

Though there is considerable spatial agro-hydrological information available on watersheds, soils, and land suitability for Canada (National Land and Water Information Service) and the prairies (Agri-Environment Services Branch), many important hydro-climatological variables are not available at a provincial or regional scale.

Efforts to develop an inventory of Alberta’s current water resources (Alberta Hydro-Climatological Atlas) have been significantly advanced by the research of Dr. Stefan Kienzle (Associate Professor, Dept. of Geography) at the University of Lethbridge, with funding and support from the Alberta Water Research Institute (now Alberta Innovates), and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (now Alberta Innovates).

Dr. Kienzle’s report titled Water Yield and Streamflow Trend Analysis for Alberta Watersheds provides a comprehensive analysis of Alberta’s streamflow records (from 1971 to 2000) for both magnitude and possible trends.

We encourage you to learn more about this research and Alberta’s water yield, and its river and streamflow trends, by clicking the links below:

Alberta’s Water Yield

  • Cubic Meters (per square kilometer per year
  • Percent Contribution (for major Alberta watersheds)

Annual and Seasonal Flow Trends

  • Annual Flows (mean, min, max.)
  • Seasonal Flows (winter, spring, summer, fall)

 

Contact us, if you have a question for Stefan Kienzle on the report Water Yield and Streamflow Trend Analysis for Alberta Watersheds.

Download

Water Yield and Streamflow Trend Analysis for Alberta Watersheds (3.32 MB)

Alberta Water Yield Per Square Kilometer (7.71 MB)

Percent Contribution of Major Alberta Watersheds (7.92 MB)

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Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

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.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

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.