SUNDRE – The municipal council has agreed to stand in solidarity with the Red Deer River Municipal Users Group’s mission to advocate for provincial government funding to conduct a study on the potential to store water during high-flow years for future use in drought seasons.
The group is an association of rural and urban municipalities situated within the Red Deer River basin as well as communities that draw their water from the river, with a focus on protecting the waterway and promoting sustainable usage.
Chris Albert, director of corporate service, told council during a recent meeting that the association had issued to all of its members a request to support the group’s advocacy efforts urging the minister of Agriculture to include funds for a feasibility study for in-line storage on the Red Deer River in his budget presentation to the finance minister.
“The study would look at the possibility of creating water storage along the river course for use in future dry years,” said Albert, adding that an existing reserve of excess water occurs at the Dickson Dam west of Innisfail.
Coun. Todd Dalke moved to support the association’s advocacy efforts to lobby the provincial government to provide funding to conduct the study, and to further direct administration to draft a letter of support.
Being the first sizeable community that draws water from the Red Deer River’s headwaters places an impetus on the municipality to monitor its flow and usage, said Dalke.
“We run the risk of giving away our water licence when we’re not using it,” he added. “We don’t want to find ourselves in 30 years needing more, and having it reserved for farming at the other end.”
The councillor told his colleagues he alongside mayor Richard Warnock had attended some meetings in which discussions regarding concerns about privatization were also raised.
“Without the proper studies involved, there could be some very consequential decisions for all of Alberta,” he said.
Expressing her support for the motion, Coun. Jaime Marr said it’s important for elected officials to have all available information prior to making decisions that potentially stand to have future impacts. The study, she added, would therefore be a useful document that helps to guide future councils’ decision-making process.
Offering his thoughts, the mayor pointed out that the Dickson Dam is currently the only source of water storage along the Red Deer River.
“And the Red Deer River is one of the rivers in Alberta that still has available water. We, as municipalities, need to make sure that we have our say in the future,” he said.
Sundre might be the first sizeable municipality to draw water from the Red Deer River, but that does not mean the town automatically gets priority for a licence, he added.
“Water licences are important to municipalities for expansion and growth. And if we leave it in someone else’s hands, then we no longer have control,” he said.
“This is important that the study is done because agriculture is also important to the province of Alberta. But we need to make sure that we understand what the impact is on every municipality that gets its water from the Red Deer River.”
Dalke’s motion carried unanimously.
