September 18 – 25, 2024
In recent weeks, the media have reported on feasibility studies for new irrigation water allocations in the Special Areas region as well as the possibility of a new dam on the Red Deer River. (new from CBC: Ardley dam proposal…) The Auditor General has also been in the news with concerns about surface water management.
The welfare of the people and ecosystems in the Red Deer River watershed, as well as the water rights of everyone and everything downstream, need to be reflected in the Alberta government’s vision, policy and plans.
The Council of Canadians, Red Deer River Naturalists, and Red Deer Polytechnic worked together to present a free, semi-virtual symposium around World Rivers Day (Sept. 22, 2024). Water for 2050 is intended for individuals, industries, and organizations concerned about the future availability of water in the Red Deer/ South Saskatchewan Basin in light of increasing demands and predicted changes in climate. Presentations ran from Wednesday, September 18 to Wednesday, September 25, with two presentations per evening. Events were live-streamed and posted on a Water for 2050 playlist on You-Tube.
This content is also available on our Water for 2050 Facebook Event Page.
Speakers and Events
(click on the bold hyperlinks to see recorded presentations)
o September 18 /Wednesday
6:00 PM – Kevin VanTighem – Sponge or Sieve? How land use in the west country will determine tomorrow’s water security. (YouTube link)
7:00 PM – Dr. Richard Schneider, Nature Alberta, The Big Picture – How Prairie Ecosystems Will Change Under a warmer Climate (previous recording from ClimateWest 2024 Forum)
o September 19 /Thursday
6:00 PM – Dr. John Pomeroy, Global Water Futures, USask – Changing Mountain Water Supplies for Alberta (YouTube link)
7:00 PM – Dr. Bill Mackay – Water in Alberta 2050: An Historical Perspective (YouTube link)
o September 20 /Friday
6:00 PM – Bob Sandford, United Nations University – Redeeming Tomorrow: Canada in a Warmer World (YouTube link)
7:00 PM – open
o September 21 /Saturday
open
o September 22 /Sunday (World Rivers Day)
10:00 AM – Ft. Normandeau, Urban Aboriginal Voices Society, World Rivers Day celebration – smudge, water ceremony, songs and more…
o September 23 /Monday
6:00 PM – Lesley Peterson, Trout Unlimited Canada – Nature based solutions for adapting to climate change. (Powerpoint presentation)
7:00 PM – Donald Selby, USask, Wetland / Waste Land | A Conservation of Change Documentary, emerging conflicts in the Canadian prairies over the apparently-conflicting needs of wetlands and agriculture. (YouTube link)
7:30 PM – Donald Selby, live Q &A (YouTube link)
o September 24 /Tuesday
6:00 PM – Francine Forrest, Watershed reporting and planning in a changing environment – WPAC roles, state of the Red Deer River watershed report
7:00 PM – Jon Fennell – Alberta’s Groundwater: Inventory, Use, Risks, and Management Solutions, Part 1 (YouTube link)
7:30 PM – Jon Fennell – Alberta’s Groundwater: Inventory, Use, Risks, and Management Solutions Part 2 (YouTube link)
o September 25 /Wednesday
6:00 PM – Cheryl Bradley, Friends of the Oldman, SAGE – Consider the River in Water and Watershed Management (YouTube link) ( Consider the River.. transcript)
7:00 PM – Summary comments
Extra content
Fish out of Water – Essay by Lorne Fitch, P. Biol. A fisheries perspective on the future implications of proposed infrastructure development in the S. Saskatchewan basin. – Oct 13, 2024 (link to document)
Mountains as Groundwater Towers, A Canadian Rocky Mountain Example – Professor Cathy Ryan, University of Calgary, shares how the Bow Watershed provides river water to a significant population (including Canada’s fourth largest metropolitan centre), irrigation, power generation, and industry. – August 15, 2024 (YouTube link)
Presentation to Alberta Irrigation Districts Association 2023 conference – P. Kim Sturgess, CEO of WaterSMART Solutions discusses their plan for economic development the S. Sask basin. (How do you slice the [water] pie?) (YouTube link)
Adaptation Roadmap for the SSRB: Assessment of Strategic Water Management Projects to Support Economic Development in the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSROM Phase 3) Final Report, posted March 28, 2024 (link to document)
Presenter information:
- Kevin Van Tighem has worked in landscape ecology and conservation for four decades Since retiring as superintendent of Banff NP in 2011, he has served on the boards of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Livingstone Landowners Group and been active in support of numerous conservation causes. Kevin is the award-winning author of fifteen books on wildlife and nature. – Wednesday, Sept 18
- Dr. Richard Schneider, Nature Alberta, U of A Integrated Landscape Management Lab. -Wednesday, Sept 18
- Distinguished Professor John Pomeroy, FRSC, FRGS, AGU Fellow Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, UNESCO Chair in Mountain Water Sustainability, Director: Global Water Futures Programme, Global Water Futures Observatories Project, USask Centre for Hydrology, Coldwater Laboratory, Canmore, Alta., Department of Geography & Planning, University of Saskatchewan, USask Coldwater Laboratory – Thursday, Sept 19
- W.C. (Bill) MacKay, BSc BEd MSc PhD, U of A Professor Emeritus, fisheries and water quality specialist. Bill will relate his personal experience and professional experience followed by a look at challenges with regard to water supply/quality issues in 2050. – Thursday, Sept 19
- Robert Sandford, United Nations University. In his work Bob is committed to translating scientific research outcomes into language decision-makers can use to craft timely and meaningful public policy and to bringing international example to bear on local water and water-related climate issues. – Friday, Sept 20
- Urban Aboriginal Voices Society (UAVS) – Sunday, Sept 22
- Lesley Peterson, professional biologist and Conservation Director at Trout Unlimited Canada. Lesley manages project staff in the Calgary and Guelph offices, providing direction and guidance on restoration and conservation programs. She represents Trout Unlimited Canada on various committees and working groups including species at risk recovery teams, the Alberta Water Council, the provincial Native Trout Collaborative, and others. – Monday, Sept 23
- Donald Selby, USask, photographer, cinematographer, and Masters Candidate in the College of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan. His research looks at the intersection between wetlands and agriculture, and the conflict surrounding it – Monday Sept 23
- Francine Forrest, Executive Director, Red Deer River Watershed Alliance, the designated Watershed Planning and Advisory Council for the Red Deer River Basin. She has a Master of Science Degree in limnology (freshwater biology) and over 20 years of experience analyzing and synthesizing information for water management decision making purposes. She has worked on a diversity of projects in the public and private sector. She enjoys using her knowledge and collaborative skills to move watershed assessment, planning, outreach and education initiatives forward. – Tuesday, Sept 24
- Jon Fennell, Water Resource Specialist, innovative and sustainable water supply solutions, water disposal and associated waste management, integrated water management.
- Cheryl Bradley, biologist and a Director of the Southern Alberta Group for Environment (SAGE), currently working collaboratively with other conservation interests towards full assessment of impacts of proposed major irrigation expansion projects. – Wednesday, Sept 25
Council of Canadians, Red Deer and Area 