Will Alberta have enough water for the future ?

[Bigrib]

Can we believe what this article is saying about the state of Alberta's water supply for the foreseeable future ?

Nice little tidbit here - "When Alberta became a province in 1905, it had 160,000 people who each consumed about 50 litres of water per day, related Stelfox. Now more than 4.7 million Albertans each use eight times that amount on average." I wonder if that includes industry.


https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2024/02/...ter-Reckoning/

Seems like the droughts are pretty normal and the last century was above average precip . You just have to roll with whatever the weather brings.

[Twisted Canuck]

The average person uses 400 liters of water a day? That's ludicrous.

And the Tyee is right up there with the Walrus and Beaverton for printing anything reliable.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

The average person uses 400 liters of water a day? That's ludicrous.

And the Tyee is right up there with the Walrus and Beaverton for printing anything reliable.

I don't think so, I would hate to guess how much water goes on lawns in southern ab.

[I’d rather be outdoors]

lol still?? The sky is falling! We’re in a drought! Restrictions! Panic! Fear! Climate Change!

We live in Palliser’s Triangle. We’ve seen worse droughts and will see more in the future. Looks like a pretty wet start of a spring to me…

Maybe we should all just shut up and pay more carbon tax……that ought to do it…

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by I’d rather be outdoors

lol still?? The sky is falling! We’re in a drought! Restrictions! Panic! Fear! Climate Change!

We live in Palliser’s Triangle. We’ve seen worse droughts and will see more in the future. Looks like a pretty wet start of a spring to me…

Maybe we should all just shut up and pay more carbon tax……that ought to do it…

I attended a talk by Kevin Van Tigham a couple of weeks ago, now there's a pessimist. According to Van Tigham only 15 % of our water supply comes from glaciers, which effectively spikes the receding glacier argument. There's no doubt we have a severe drought, but the government is planning another controversial irrigation reservoir in Eastern Alberta while the ones further upstream are being cut back. I asked one of the people working on this proposal where all this water was supposed to come from ? Don't worry, there's lots of water. Yeah Right.

[Drewski Canuck]

I said it before and I will say it again, Media Outlets must get their Federal Handouts based on the number of times they scream "climate change".

The Tyee (a fish of 30 pounds or more) sure smells fishy.

Same crisis has gripped Souther California long before buzz word bingo of "Climate change" was thrown about. Now they have too much water. You guessed it, no Media Outlet is screeching "Climate change"!!!.

The reason for reservoirs is to ensure water supply stability. Answer to growing demand is to create more reservoirs so that there is water supply for the dry times.

Drewski

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

I attended a talk by Kevin Van Tigham a couple of weeks ago.

Why? Sounds punishing

[barsik]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

I attended a talk by Kevin Van Tigham a couple of weeks ago, now there's a pessimist. According to Van Tigham only 15 % of our water supply comes from glaciers, which effectively spikes the receding glacier argument. There's no doubt we have a severe drought, but the government is planning another controversial irrigation reservoir in Eastern Alberta while the ones further upstream are being cut back. I asked one of the people working on this proposal where all this water was supposed to come from ? Don't worry, there's lots of water. Yeah Right.

15% from glaciers means 85% from some other source. droughts and monsoons are cyclical in nature and human activity has little to no influence at all. best case for abundant moisture is a warm planet because warm air evaporates and carries moisture while cold temps hold much less moisture in suspension. it is the rotation of the planet creating atmospheric wind patterns which distribute moisture over land masses, and mountains tend to interfere with those patterns. some of the most intense deserts are bordering on oceans but due to constant winds from the land to the sea no water falls on the desert sands. most politicians are dependent on an uneducated and emotionally fragile population.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Why? Sounds punishing

Hey, I'll listen to anyone, lets you judge who and what you're up against. At these events, I'm always the guy that asks the embarrassing questions. It's been known to severely shorten question period on occasion .

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by barsik

15% from glaciers means 85% from some other source. droughts and monsoons are cyclical in nature and human activity has little to no influence at all. best case for abundant moisture is a warm planet because warm air evaporates and carries moisture while cold temps hold much less moisture in suspension. it is the rotation of the planet creating atmospheric wind patterns which distribute moisture over land masses, and mountains tend to interfere with those patterns. some of the most intense deserts are bordering on oceans but due to constant winds from the land to the sea no water falls on the desert sands. most politicians are dependent on an uneducated and emotionally fragile population.

Bottom line is that we are in an extended drought, best we can hope is that it turns around soon.

[W921]

Ive been hauling water forever.
A family of 4 will easily go through 120 gallons a day just flushing toilet,washing clothing and not using a dishwasher or watering lawns.
Cow/calf pair will average a good 10 gallons a day depending on temp.
Irrigation takes huge amounts.

Its not that I hate people from other areas but this constant influx of people is destroying everything I love about this province.

The only place they can get new water is from agriculture because anything involving dams or water pipelines the urban people will be all against.

If I was a young guy I would head out for the big muddy in southern Saskatchewan.

[big zeke]

Let's just get a few things straight here:

1)We are in a crisis...I mean a CRISIS. Practise screaming this at the top of your lungs
2)This crisis is your fault either from what you did or what you didn't do. Please don't ask for the numbers that back up this assertion
3) This crisis can only be fixed via taxation, apparently there is a direct connection between taxes and rain
4) Keep accepting more taxes until the weather changes

This problem will solve itself once you have paid enough

If you believe half of this climate bullcrap you're a fool. I expect soon we will have too much rain in southern Alberta (or the wrong kind of rain or the wrong color or it fell too slow or too fast) ergo our next crisis.

Lather, rinse, repeat

[W921]

Southern Alberta is getting rain now and its a wonderful year so far but over all .
We are long term running out of water. I'm not a irrigation guy but I believe they have cut back on irrigation allocation already this year.
Meanwhile its full steam a head with programs like the following to sucker more people into coming here. Towns issuing building permits as fast as possible. No jobs that pay anything, no doctors and running out of water.
Some towns seem to think if they get bigger they will qualify for more funding. Others its about filling crap jobs that nobody else will do. For others its about real estate and rental market.
People who lose are pensioners, young local born people and small farms or basically the little guy. Massive inflation with housing costs going crazy.

"The two new pilots will be the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP). The RCIP will launch in the fall of 2024.Mar 6, 2024"

[Grizzly Adams1]

I believe they have cut back on irrigation allocation


Much of that goes to grow comparatively low value crops like hay. California has run into a brick wall when it comes to accessing water and the end of it's agricultural sector looms on the horizon.

[Pathfinder76]

Canada has the lowest human population by land mass in the world. By a significant margin. We were running out of oil in the 60’s. Water is not running out.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

The average person uses 400 liters of water a day? That's ludicrous.

My wife is using more than that to rinse a teaspoon. Drives me crazy.

[Dylan15]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

I attended a talk by Kevin Van Tigham a couple of weeks ago, now there's a pessimist. According to Van Tigham only 15 % of our water supply comes from glaciers, which effectively spikes the receding glacier argument. There's no doubt we have a severe drought, but the government is planning another controversial irrigation reservoir in Eastern Alberta while the ones further upstream are being cut back. I asked one of the people working on this proposal where all this water was supposed to come from ? Don't worry, there's lots of water. Yeah Right.

This is done the same reason people put up rain barrels. Not going to fill when it is dry, going to fill when it is wet. This is being done for sustainability. I haven't talked to any farmers who are going to get more ft/acre. This is to expand capacity, as well as offer irrigation to others further down the line if there is excess.

The climate change crowd should be all over this. Keeping the water on land will maybe offset the ocean rising

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Fradaburidi

My wife is using more than that to rinse a teaspoon. Drives me crazy.

Where does that water end up? Does it just disappear?

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Canada has the lowest human population by land mass in the world. By a significant margin. We were running out of oil in the 60’s. Water is not running out.

Canada is the richest in resources country in the world but Canadians are poor.

Almost all that population live no further North than 100Km of the US border.

Yes, there is water in Nunavut, go there to drink or take a shower.

When I see sprawling cities and an increase of population that demands more and more resources I can't help myself not wondering if there will be enough water, power and everything else.

Climate is changing, human related or not.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Dylan15

This is done the same reason people put up rain barrels. Not going to fill when it is dry, going to fill when it is wet. This is being done for sustainability. I haven't talked to any farmers who are going to get more ft/acre. This is to expand capacity, as well as offer irrigation to others further down the line if there is excess.

The climate change crowd should be all over this. Keeping the water on land will maybe offset the ocean rising

We could pick one for sure. That might lend at least some credibility.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Where does that water end up? Does it just disappear?

It's going down not up so it can't be reused in the same place. Regardless I have to pay for it. People just don't care unless they have to pay or suffer.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

I said it before and I will say it again, Media Outlets must get their Federal Handouts based on the number of times they scream "climate change".
Drewski

I noticed that too. Weather Canada forecasts 10 degrees more sometimes than other weather forecasts.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Hey, I'll listen to anyone, lets you judge who and what you're up against. At these events, I'm always the guy that asks the embarrassing questions. It's been known to severely shorten question period on occasion .

There's even video of that happening:

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

The average person uses 400 liters of water a day? That's ludicrous.

And the Tyee is right up there with the Walrus and Beaverton for printing anything reliable.

My daughter and significant other uses that for their showers!!!

Just more clickbait on the interwebs.

BW

[trailraat]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

The average person uses 400 liters of water a day? That's ludicrous.

And the Tyee is right up there with the Walrus and Beaverton for printing anything reliable.

Not really - from a civil engineering perspective a typical design value for residential housing is 320L/per person per day. It has reduced due to water reducing appliances, but we use more than you think. A ten minute shower with an "efficient" shower head is going to use 80L of water. Efficient toilet is 6L/flush and is probably flushed at least 4 times a day/person. Then you have to add in your dishwasher, washing machine, doing dishes in the sink, brushing you teeth, water the lawn, filling pots for cooking, etc.

Our house uses between 700-1100L/d a day depending on time of year and we have little kids that only bath a couple times a week. Check your water bill and see what you use.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Canada has the lowest human population by land mass in the world. By a significant margin. We were running out of oil in the 60’s. Water is not running out.

Yeah but, most of that water is inaccessible and we do live in a drought prone part of the country. Most of our population lives very close to the American border, so that land mass thing is a non starter. One of the questions I asked was, Alberta's population is projected to double in the coming decades, where are we going to find water to accommodate them ? We are also bound by agreement to leave certain percentages of our river flows for the downstream provinces as well. That was a puzzler.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Talked to relative in North the other day that stated Peace River is extremely low last few years. Just for record the Peace river 'under normal conditions' flows more water that All the other rivers in Alberta combined.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by trailraat

Not really - from a civil engineering perspective a typical design value for residential housing is 320L/per person per day.
Our house uses between 700-1100L/d a day depending on time of year. Check your water bill and see what you use.

We are a family of 5 and average around 400-450l per day total. We don’t monitor or restrict water usage at all so I’m not sure what the rest of you guys are doing.








I’m going to try to stay out of the climate alarm debate. You guys can subscribe to your flavour of the religion as you see fit. I will mention that every time I’m back in Canada it’s amazing how much they pimp the climate alarm in the media at every opportunity. This forum has been a bastion of logic but even it’s showing its cracks.

I’ll also mention, here at my house we’ve had over 1.5 meters of rain so far in 2024, aka the last ~4 months. El Niño does that for us down here.


Fingers crossed you guys get some good soaking rain this spring.

[Pathfinder76]

The sky is most certainly falling.

[Drewski Canuck]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Yeah but, most of that water is inaccessible and we do live in a drought prone part of the country. Most of our population lives very close to the American border, so that land mass thing is a non starter. One of the questions I asked was, Alberta's population is projected to double in the coming decades, where are we going to find water to accommodate them ? We are also bound by agreement to leave certain percentages of our river flows for the downstream provinces as well. That was a puzzler.

The best way to preserve our water supply is to store it in a location where it does not evaporate away. Only solution is enhanced ground water storage and recharge of existing aquifers.

Alot of the Southern Reservoirs have large surface areas that simply evaporate away a big volume of water each and every day that temperatures are in the mid 20s - 30s C.

But that forward thinking would mean exploring where the recharge areas for aquifers are, or enhancing recharge to ground water storage.

This idea may be too easy to be appreciated. Lets see what the big brains in Government decide.

Drewski