Alberta Environment, under the auspices of Water for Life, released a report earlier this year to outline potential sites for on-stream and off-stream water storage across Alberta. In other words, where in the province would be good sites to build more dams?

The report, Assessment of Potential Water Storage Sites and Diversion Scenarios, is meant to address Water for Life's goal of ensuring "reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy". The study assesses and ranks previously identified water storage sites and diversion scenarios based on technical and subjective criteria. Storage sites are rated and compared within each major basin. The study is meant to identify sites that would be eligible for further evaluation, not to suggest where dams should be built. However, it illustrates government's serious consideration of building more dams in the province.

• Read the report
• Access the watershed maps with potential and existing water storage and diversion sites.

Water supply is and will continue to be an issue in Alberta as climate change scenarios continue to point to decreased stream flows and population growth and economic development drive up water consumption. Currently, water supply is particularly an issue in southern Alberta, the lower Athabasca basin, and the industrial heartland. Alberta Environment is no longer giving out new water licences in Alberta south of the Red Deer River watershed. Oil sands mining and refining are driving up water use in both the lower Athabasca River watershed and the North Saskatchewan River watershed. So, the logical next step is to build more dams. Right?

Building more dams (i.e., supply side management) is an old way of thinking about water management — a way of thinking that is entrenched in meeting demands by creating more supply. It is often applied in times of water abundance or when there is an assumption of an unlimited water supply. But we are no longer living in times of water abundance. Population and economic growth are making water relatively scarce (where the amount of water per person decreases) and climate change threatens to increase that scarcity. We need to focus on managing water demand (i.e., demand-side management) rather than water supply management. We need to better manage how we use existing water and not depend on getting more water through building more dams and new water storage systems.

Building dams does not create more water. Damming water stresses and destroys aquatic habitat, increases evaporation, changes the river's flow regime all of which disrupt the natural processes that we rely on for fresh, clean, un-polluted waters and landscapes.

We need to diversify our water management.

Some other jurisdictions are ahead of us. An Australian water policy states, "We can't expect more rain to fall, and we can't generate more water by building dams, so water efficiency, conservation and reuse are necessary key actions" (State of Victoria 2004, 12). This policy recognizes that the traditional approach of managing water by exploiting rivers and aquifers, building new dams for water supply, and disposing of wastewater into rivers and oceans is not sustainable (State of Victoria 2004, 11).

Although Alberta is not yet in the same dire, water-short situation as Australia's recent years of drought, Alberta needs to think ahead and reconsider how we use water, protect our aquatic ecosystems, and conserve rather than dam water. Climate change will reduce stream flow, but dams are not the answer to ensure supply. Alberta has many large dams. Do we really need more, or should we consider more ecologically sound alternatives for our water supply?

What does the report say?

The report analyzed 90 sites of 182 sites originally identified in An Inventory of Potential Water Storage Sites and Diversion Scenarios, a 2005 Alberta Environment study. These 90 sites had sufficient information to be assessed in this study. Inter-basin diversions were not assessed. Cost estimates were not calculated to current dollars.

The study identifies the sites as either on-stream or off-stream, where, "if the annual natural runoff volume was estimated to be greater than the reservoir volume, the site is considered to be ‘on-stream'; otherwise, it is considered to be ‘off-stream'" (MPE 2008, 19). Sites are compared only to other potential sites within the same basin.

Some of the criteria that the study used to evaluate potential storage sites included suitability of site hydrogeology, flooded area, estimation of water supply and demand in the area served, as well as general environmental issues and First Nations' involvement.

What sites were rated highly (i.e. an "A" in an A-B-C system of overall ratings)?

Overall, the study "A" rates 54 potential storage sites in Alberta, 34 of which the study considers to have complete information for this stage of assessment.

In the Athabasca Basin, seven potential sites received an "A" rating, although four lacked complete information. These sites are on the Athabasca mainstem, Oldman Creek, MacLeod River, and Pembina River. All of these sites would be subject to the Alberta-NWT Bilateral Agreement, where the government of the Northwest Territories would be involved in the approval of a dam.

Two sites in the Beaver Basin, on the Amisk and Sand Rivers, received "A" ratings. One site assessment lacked complete information.

In the Bow Basin, 11 sites were rated "A", four of which have incomplete information. These sites were on the Bow mainstem, Crowfoot Creek, and Highwood River.

The report assessed four sites in the Milk River Basin to have an "A" rating. One of these sites had incomplete information. Two potential sites are on the Milk mainstem and two on the North Milk.

The North Saskatchewan River Basin has seven potential sites rated as "A", three of which have incomplete information for the assessment. These sites are on the mainstem and Sounding Creek.

The Oldman River Basin is considered to have ten potential storage sites with an "A" rating. Three of these sites have incomplete information. Three potential sites are on the Little Bow, two on the St. Mary, two on the Oldman mainstem, one on the Belly River, and two on Willow Creek.

The report labeled the Peace/Slave Basin to have three potential storage sites with an "A".

Red Deer Basin has seven potential sites rated "A" according to the report. Two of these have insufficient information. Four would be on stream and three sites would be off stream. Two would be on the mainstem, two are on Serviceberry Creek, one is on the Blood & Indian Creeks, one is on the Berry Creek, and one is on Panther Creek.

South Saskatchewan Sub-basin has three potential storage sites rated as "A". One would be off stream and one on stream.

Sources

Environmental Impacts of Dams, Wikipedia.

International Rivers.

MPE Engineering Ltd. January 2008. Assessment of Potential Water Storage

Sites and Diversion Scenarios: Final Report. Water for Life. Prepared for : Alberta Environment.

Science Encyclopedia, Vol 2. Impacts of Dams.

State of Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Environment. June 2004. Securing Our Water Future Together. Victorian Government White Paper. Melbourne.