2024 Drought Information — Bow River Basin Council

BRBC Information

Most of the water (over 90%) in the Bow River comes from the mountain region. A majority of the water reaches the river as groundwater that has been stored for varying periods (days to millennia). Alberta is experiencing drought conditions across the province, and the Bow Basin is no exception. There are currently 12 water shortage advisories in the Bow Basin, and 51 across the province (as of December 2023). The BRBC will be working with its partners across the watershed to ensure we are responsive and well informed on drought as we move into Spring 2024.

There are currently 12 Water Shortage Advisories in the Bow River Basin (click map to download)

Announcements

Water sharing agreements have been signed by 38 major water users in the South Saskatchewan River Basin, the largest water-sharing agreements in Alberta’s history. These agreements are designed to be proactive and use drought modelling scenarios to ensure that water use does not outpace supply. In the Bow Basin, the Agreement has been signed by 7 major water users. To read the full Memorandum of Understanding, download it here. More information on this historic milestone is available on the Government of Alberta website.

Drought ParticipACTION Workshop Summary Report is now available! The BRBC Legislation and Policy Committee hosted a workshop in February 2024 to understand community members’ concerns and suggested solutions heading into a drought this year. The report is available for download from the BRBC Library or here.