Alberta's Water Resources

Alberta's water resources come in many forms: rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater aquifers. The distribution of water and the quality of that water are not the same everywhere in the province. Southern Alberta is generally warmer and drier. Northern Alberta is cooler and wetter.

Alberta has several major river systems.

Starting in the south, the Milk River along Alberta's southern border carries water into Alberta from Montana and loops back as part of the mighty Mississippi River system. The South Saskatchewan River flows east and joins the North Saskatchewan River to empty into Hudson Bay. The South Saskatchewan's tributaries include the Oldman, Bow and Red Deer Rivers. The Beaver River also flows east to Hudson Bay. In the north, the Peace and Athabasca Rivers join near Lake Athabasca. Their waters flow north via the Slave River to Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. Several other northern rivers, including the Hay and Buffalo, also drain into Great Slave Lake and into the Mackenzie River.

Alberta's lakes range from prairie sloughs in the south, to clear, alpine lakes in the western mountains and several large lakes in the north. In some areas, large reservoirs have been created to store water for irrigation and other purposes. In the northeast corner of the province, lakes on Alberta's Canadian Shield are similar to those found in eastern Canada.

Groundwater is an important source of water in Alberta. This water is found under the ground surface, in the spaces between rocks and soil particles. Groundwater is found throughout the province, but the quality and amount varies from place to place and only a small proportion is easily accessible.

Albertans have a responsibility to manage these water resources wisely. In November 2003, Alberta adopted a new strategy for managing these resources. It is called the Water For Life strategy. Three goals are central to this strategy:

1. Safe, secure drinking water supply
2. Healthy aquatic ecosystems
3. Reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable                                              economy;

Check out the environmental indicators for water to learn about the state of water resources in Alberta and our progress towards these goals. For more information about the Water for Life strategy, click on the Water for Life image above.

Indicator	Safe Secure Drinking Water Supply	Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems	Reliable, Quality Water Supplies for a Sustainable Economy
Lake Level Index
Lake Trophic Status
Reservoir Index
River Water Quality Index
River Nutrient Index
River Bacteria Index
River Pesticide Index
Trends in Groundwater Observation Wells
Groundwater Well Density
Water Allocations by Sector
Water Allocations - Compared to Natural Flows
Hydrometric Monitoring Network
Waters Used for Oilfield Injection
Sharing Water
Pulp Mill Effluent Loads
Watershed Organizations

Legend

Strong relationship

Moderate relationship

Little or no relationship