Province to study feasibility of new water reservoir on Red Deer River

Among the options the Alberta government will consider to make the province more drought and flood resilient in the future is a reservoir in the Red Deer River Basin. 

Budget 2024 allocated $4.5 million to study a new water reservoir near Ardley, east of Red Deer. 

While announcing the plan in Edmonton on Wednesday, Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said a reservoir there could help local farmers and ranchers, as well as businesses and residents. 

The feasibility research, set to start "as soon as possible," is part of a total $35-million effort to improve Alberta's water management system over the next three years. 

"Ardley is one project that has been, I would say, on the list or been in discussion for a number of years, so I think it's good to prioritize the work that is being done on that one," Schulz told reporters. 

Ardley was first studied as a location for a reservoir and dam in the late 1960s. In a 2014 Red Deer River Basin Mitigation Study, the location was said to have the "greatest ability to provide mitigation for the most diverse range of potential flood events," but could be challenged to convey normal river flows and might pose other "fish passage issues." Additionally, it was found the site could potentially provide an irrigation supply to adjacent farmland. 

Although Ardley was the only location Schulz named on Wednesday, she said her ministry would be looking at where else in the province water storage is needed most. 

In total, she'll be spending $23 million over three years to bring Alberta's water management system – as she said – "into the 21st century." That means identifying other potential water storage projects as well as increasing conservation efforts, reviewing management regulations and policy, and modernizing information and data systems. 

There is no timeline for the review, but some changes could be made as early as next month, Schulz said. A water advisory panel has been struck and is helping decide next steps. 

An additional $12 million, making up the $35 million, will be spent on restoring and improving wetlands and watersheds. This funding will be available to municipalities, conservation and community organizations, and Indigenous groups to apply for. 

Drought preparations 

Alberta is currently experiencing some of the worst drought conditions on record and is carrying out level four out of five of its water shortage management response plan. 

Among other things, the province has begun water-sharing negotiations over the Red Deer River, Bow River and Old Man River basins. 

When asked if the province is considering interbasin diversion, Schulz said the idea has been floated in southern irrigation districts but that the province first needs to determine water levels, its flow-through allocation commitments, and what impact moving water between basins would have on aquatic life. 

Schulz also confirmed her ministry has started a conversation with its Saskatchewan counterpart with the understanding "we pass along more than our obligated share of water." 

"We also want to make sure that we are accessing and utilizing the available water that we have," she said. 

Schulz is hoping Alberta can avoid, for the first time ever, calling a state of emergency over drought with the right action. 

"At this point, I'm optimistic based on how those conversations have been going and the willingness of all of our partners to work together," she said. 

The government has also committed $125 million over five years for infrastructure projects like berms and water storage.