• The irrigation sector accounts for 43% of the total water allocations. The industrial sector accounts for 28% of allocations, followed by 11% for municipal use.
• Water use in Alberta is predicted to increase to more than 3,998,600 cubic decameters by 2025 – a 21% increase from current use.

Alberta Environment sought to determine how much water is needed and used in the province.

The report (click here) provides estimates of water used in the province during 2005, summarized by sector and by river basin. The report found that because Alberta Environment issues water licences to a maximum allocation, actual water use is lower than what has been allocated. Based on available water use information for 2005, it is estimated that, overall, 34.5 per cent of water allocated was actually used in Alberta. The report also includes projections of future water use to 2025.

Background on Water Demand, Use, and Allocations in Alberta

Source: Alberta Environment

In Alberta, approximately two million people get their drinking water from large municipal systems. Approximately 400,000 Albertans get their water from smaller water treatment plants. The remaining 600,000 Albertans obtain their water from private systems such as wells, water co-ops or by hauling

In southern Alberta, more than 505,000 hectares of land (just 4% of the total land that can be cultivated in Alberta) are serviced by 13 irrigation districts. These irrigation networks are used by agriculture and they also supply nearly 50 communities with water for domestic use. Today, irrigated agricultural production accounts for about 18 to 20 per cent of Alberta's total agricultural production.

Alberta has an agreement with Saskatchewan that guarantees that 50% of the water in each of the shared, major river basins, must be allowed to flow into Saskatchewan. This agreement is called an apportionment agreement. Alberta shares borders with British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Montana. Currently, apportionment agreements only exist with Saskatchewan and Montana.

In Alberta, water has been traditionally allocated on the “first-in-time, first-in-right” principle for both surface and ground water. The older the licence, the higher that user is on the priority list. This allows the owners of the first licenses issued to access the full amount of water issued before newer licensees have access, regardless of use. Furthermore, water licenses granted under this principle have no expiry date. However, licenses issued under the Water Act are now issued for a fixed period. The theory of the principle is that it protects an existing user’s rights from those who come after them and is the best way to allow for orderly development. Therefore, during a drought, a farmer with a senior licence may have access to water for irrigation, while at the same time, a city with a more recently issued licence may be forced to ask residents to ration water.

Water Allocations in Alberta (2008, by sector)

Source: Alberta Environment

This indicator shows the change in total water allocations over time. The allocation totals are broken down into the major sectors representing the types of usage for water in Alberta. Water allocations in Alberta have grown by seven per cent since 2000, reaching 9.9 billion cubic metres by 2008. The rate of growth since 2000 has decreased slightly as compared to the rate over the past 30 years.

Trend: Generally increasing across most basins and most sectors

For the breakdown of sectoral water allocations in each of Alberta's major river basins, click on the basin of interest:

Milk - South Saskatchewan - North Saskatchewan - Beaver - Athabasca - Peace/Slave - Hay

Water Allocations in Alberta (2008, vs. Average Natural Flow)

Source: Alberta Environment

This indicator shows the proportion of water allocated for various uses in each of Alberta's main sub-basins. Color shading indicates how much water is allocated as a percentage of the natural flow in the river. The smaller map gives a broader overview of water allocation in Alberta's major river basins.

Trend: Allocations increasing in most basins

Click here...to view the historical trend (maps of water allocations in 1900, 1930,1960, 1990, and 2008)

Sources: Alberta Environment

At first glance, the Battle River basin appears to be over allocated (more than 100 per cent); however, the basin contains large licenses that return most of the water that is initially diverted, allowing for much of the water to be reused or passed downstream. With this in mind, the indicator shows that demand for water is very high in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. Allocations there have reached 72 per cent of natural flows upstream of the meeting point with the Red Deer River. This means that water supply is becoming an increasingly important issue in these areas.

Water allocation data are based on the water licences issued under the provincial Water Act. Flow data is collected by Alberta's hydrometric monitoring network. This network consists of over 340 stations located throughout the province. Where the recorded flows are regulated or have large human consumption, the natural flows are reconstructed using sophisticated computations and flow models or "flow naturalization techniques".

Please note that this measure does not apply to two small sub-basins in southeast Alberta. Pakowki Lake and Sounding Creek are "internal" drainage basins. As such, they only collect water and do not have an outflowing stream that can be measured in the same way as is done for the other basins.

Disclaimer of Accuracy of Data - Although the data found on the Alberta WaterPortal has been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, can be made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information.