The Edmonton Region is fortunate to have abundant water resources, a growing global concern as many regions struggle with water scarcity.
The North Saskatchewan River is a vital natural resource. Stretching 1,200 km, it ranks as the 24th longest river in North America and the 132nd longest globally. Originating in the Rocky Mountains, the river flows through the Edmonton Region before merging with the South Saskatchewan River near Saskatoon. From there, it becomes the Saskatchewan River, eventually reaching Lake Winnipeg and flowing north through the Nelson River into Hudson Bay.
Figure 1.
A watershed is a natural geographic area where precipitation collects and drains into a single river system. The North Saskatchewan River watershed is one of Alberta’s 11 major watersheds. Rainfall or snowmelt within its boundaries flows into this river, while precipitation outside these boundaries feeds other systems. See Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Water from the North and South Saskatchewan, the Red Deer, and the Battle Rivers eventually join into the Saskatchewan – ultimately draining into the Hudson’s Bay.
The river’s flow varies depending on location, season, precipitation levels, and the operations of two major upstream dams: the Brazeau and Bighorn dams.
At Edmonton, water flow peaks in mid-summer and reaches its lowest levels in February and March (see Figure 3). Most of the river’s water comes from rainfall and snowmelt, with a smaller contribution from glacier melt, which also influences water quality.
Figure 3.
The North Saskatchewan River sustains diverse ecosystems, enabling wildlife to thrive. It also supports human habitation and various industries. From meeting basic needs of drinking and domestic use, to agriculture, manufacturing, and petrochemicals, the water from the North Saskatchewan is critical to the wellbeing of the communities that live here. Of course, the river is also important to our neighbours downstream. An agreement signed between the two provinces requires Alberta provide a quantity of water equal to one-half of annual natural flow to neighbouring Saskatchewan.
In Alberta, using water from surface or groundwater sources requires a water license, which allocates a maximum annual volume. Figure 4 shows that of the total water flowing through Edmonton’s section of the river, about one-sixth is licensed for potential use. License holders often use less than their allocated amount. “Water diversion” is the actual portion of water a user takes from their allocated volume. A user might also return some of the water they divert from the river back to the river after use- this portion is known as the “return flow”. The actual amount of water used (the “consumptive use”) is equal to the water diverted minus the return flow. In addition, the consumptive use includes water lost but not used- such as that lost to evaporation. Figure 4 also shows that, of the total volume allocated, approximately 37% end up being used.
In figure 5 we see that the Edmonton Region’s major water uses include:
(Note licensed volumes in figure 5 exceed volume allocated in figure 4 because it also includes licences downstream from Edmonton).
Figure 5.
Important to note here is that although agriculture accounts for relatively small amount of water use in the North Saskatchewan basin (unlike our neighbours in Southern Alberta) there are still more licence holders in the agriculture sector than all other uses combined (Figure 6).
Figure 6.
The North Saskatchewan River is undeniably a cornerstone of the Edmonton Region’s prosperity. Its waters sustain thriving ecosystems, drive economic development, and support a growing population. From its vital role in industry and agriculture to ensuring safe, clean water for municipalities, to providing a habitat and sustenance to wildlife, the river is deeply woven into the fabric of our region’s success.
