Alberta will kick off negotiations with major water licence holders to strike water-sharing agreements for the Red Deer River, Bow River and Old Man river basins Thursday as concern over looming water shortages grows.
Significantly reduced mountain snowpack and below-average precipitation over the past number of months has led to extremely low reservoir levels and record-low river levels. All of the province will be affected by that, but southern Alberta’s agricultural sector is expected to face particularly significant challenges.
As such, for the first time since 2001, the provincial government said it has authorized its drought command team to begin negotiations with the major water licence holders. The
