Southern Alberta Prepares for Drought Emergency
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Summary
Learn English with Alberta s Premier Rachel Notley. Alberta is facing the worst drought in decades and is working together with First Nations, First Nations and non-governmental organizations to find a way to manage the situation. In this episode, Rachel talks about the importance of water sharing agreements and how Albertans are working together to ensure there is enough water to meet growing demand.
Transcript
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We've faced many droughts before and we have gotten through them by working together to secure
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our province's water supply. This year, we are taking this challenge head-on. The past month or
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two have brought more snow and rain, which absolutely has improved our situation slightly.
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But snow on our mountains is still low and that snow melt fills our rivers. Many reservoirs are
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still low and ground is already dry from last year. If we have a hot dry spring, we still could
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see severe droughts in parts of our province. But here's the thing about Albertans, that we are
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resilient. We don't just sit back and wait for things to happen. We all do our part. And today's
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announcement is absolutely proof of that. As early as last fall, we knew that Alberta could face a
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significant drought this year. We also knew that in 2001, water sharing agreements between irrigators
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and others helped the province get through a major drought. That is why we launched the new water
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sharing discussions in February of this year. We knew these agreements were the most effective tool
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available to conserve water and, of course, to make every drop count. But our province has grown a lot
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since 2001. To truly prepare, we knew that we needed to go bigger. And that's really why this year's
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discussions were the largest in Alberta's history. Irrigation districts, industry, communities,
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and many others participated. First Nations and non-governmental organizations also joined the
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conversations. I'm proud to announce that as a result of this hard work, four new memorandums of
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understanding have been developed for the Bow River Basin, the Red Deer River Basin, the Old Man River
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Basin, and the upper tributaries of the Old Man River Basin. The biggest and oldest water license users
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in each basin came together to voluntarily agree to reduce the water use if severe drought conditions
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do, in fact, develop this summer. These agreements, they didn't come together overnight. They represent
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countless hours of negotiation, compromises, and a shared belief that Albertans are better off
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working together in a potential time of water scarcity. The key is that we base these agreements
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again on water levels that were last seen in 2001. We now forecast to have more water available this year,
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so these agreements will only be implemented or activated if they are needed, and they will be regularly
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adjusted as drought conditions change. These agreements are designed to be proactive, agile, and flexible enough to be
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adjusted in real time as we see conditions change. Specific commitments are laid out in each one of the MOUs,
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which are designed for the water users in that specific area. However, generally speaking,
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municipalities in these basins have agreed to voluntarily reduce their water consumption by 5-10%.
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The exact amount will vary by community and, of course, on drought conditions as they change.
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Industries are also stepping up, committing to use the absolute minimum amount of water needed to maintain
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safe, reliable operations and find innovative ways to conserve water. And irrigation districts,
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whose members rely on water for their livelihoods, have agreed to use less and put others first.
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They will let municipalities, First Nations, industry, and other water users receive their water,
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and irrigation districts will divide up the remaining supply for growing crops and feeding livestock.
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If it sounds complicated, that is absolutely because it is. Water is used by many people in many
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different ways, pulling from many different points within our system. Starting in May, we will evaluate
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and update the actual water use and conservation measures that users take every two weeks, so that
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we're adjusting water based on how much is actually available at any given time. As water levels drop,
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so will consumption. As they rise, so will the amount that can be used. Of course, our work is not done.
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We'll implement and adjust these agreements as needed throughout the summer. We're also reaching out
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to the smaller or junior water licensees not participating in these specific water sharing
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agreements, including private irrigators and smaller municipalities. We will be strongly encouraging
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them to decrease their water use and implement reduction measures. Our staff will directly be engaging with
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water users, especially across southern Alberta, to identify practical ways to save water. We will also be
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releasing our drought emergency response plan next week, and we will be making more practical changes to
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reduce red tape so all people on this stage behind me can respond to changing conditions this summer as well.
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These agreements are landmark achievements. Thanks to these new forward-looking water sharing agreements,
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communities will have the water they need to drink, to ensure we're protecting human health, to fight
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wildfires as well, and farmers and ranchers are assured a fair share to help feed our province and
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businesses will continue to keep our economy growing. Today, we've done more than simply manage water. We have
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modeled the spirit of collaboration that makes Alberta strong. Because of these agreements, we stand better
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prepared for whatever the future may bring, knowing that we did this together. And all of that, of course,
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is due to the generosity, commitment, and leadership of all of the folks behind me. Our province owes them
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a sincere debt of gratitude. As Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, as well as an Albertan,
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I also want to say thank you. Thank you to every single person behind me and everyone else who signed on as part of
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these MOUs. By working to develop these water sharing agreements, you've absolutely demonstrated
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that leadership, dedication, and community spirit that makes our province great. This is definitely
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not the first drought that we have faced here in Alberta, and it won't be the last, but the agreements
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that we have reached and that we're releasing today will be the model that is used for years to come.