The Alberta government has released a “more targeted” drought response plan.
The new guidelines include a severity measurement tool to classify drought stages present in a given river basin. Rankings range from zero (no drought conditions) to five (urgent and critical escalation of drought conditions leading to a water emergency declared under the province’s Water Act).
The Oldman River and Milk River basins in southern Alberta currently warrant a ranking of four, due to very dry conditions. That is equivalent to the ranking given to the entire province back in May.
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“Since then, some areas have seen significant rains, while others are still experiencing droughts and water shortages. With conditions varying, a more targeted approach is needed,” read a Government of Alberta news release.
Other basins have been downgraded anywhere from zero to three, reflecting current moisture levels. The Red Deer and Bow River basins and the southern tributaries of the South Saskatchewan River are at stage 3. No basins currently meet the threshold for stage 5.
Basins in the northern half of the province are at stage 1-2, except for the Beaver River basin which is at zero.
A new Alberta drought map on alberta.ca allows users to see drought stages and check area conditions.
