The Government of Alberta is reviewing how water is managed because of increasing demands for Alberta's water.

• Alberta's population will increase to 4.4 million by 2031.
• Some municipalities are at risk of running out of water including Okotoks, Strathmore, and High River.
• Healthy river basins need water, and healthy river basins provide clean air and water for Albertans.
• Alberta will have less water and be drier because of climate change.

Water rights are managed through a licensing system known as First-In-Time First-In-Right (FITFIR) created in the late 1800s.

FITFIR determines who gets water first and how much water they can take through licenses.

FITFIR is a system of preference that prioritizes water rights by license date.

The current water rights system created 100 years ago needs to be updated. Why?
The growing pressures on Alberta's water supply were not envisioned when Alberta's water rights system was created.

• Under Alberta's water rights system, water for basic human needs do not have priority.
• Under Alberta's water rights system, the environment has no priority to water. In low water years, as little as 4.8% of all water rights are allocated for fish, wildlife, habitat and recreation.
• Under Alberta's water rights system water is not prioritized by use. In other words, the law does not differentiate between water used to drink, clean and cook, from water used to wash a car or irrigate a golf course.