By Heather Marshall for the Battle River Watershed Alliance
For nearly three years, all five subwatersheds in the Battle River watershed have remained under a Water Shortage Advisory (since May 31, 2023). As of mid-March, the basin is in Stage 2 (Moderate Drought), as defined in the Alberta Drought Response Plan.
For landowner Susan Kokas, the change has been striking. After returning to live along the Battle River in 2020, she recalls her basement flooding from spring runoff. Late in the summer the past two years, the river wasn’t flowing. Walking the riverbed last fall, she says, “It was bone dry and weeds were everywhere. There were dead clams, dead grasses, and no ducks. It was sad indeed.”
Prairie-fed watersheds like the Battle respond differently to drought than mountain-fed systems. Flows depend on precipitation, while mountain systems are buffered by deeper snowpack. “Prairie snow is typically shallower, wind-redistributed, and can melt into depressions or wetlands without producing sustained channel flow,” says Alberta hydrologist Yang Yang.
Impacts vary across the watershed, but municipalities, water managers, and producers are adapting while monitoring spring conditions. In the MD of Wainwright, Agricultural Fieldman Shelby Oracheski says sloughs and dugouts are under stress, forcing some livestock producers to drill costly pasture wells. Despite generally strong crops last year, pastures suffered, as some producers reported 30–40% of typical hay yields.
Round Hill farmer Kyle Nahirniak notes that dry conditions in April and May over the past decade have hurt forage stands. In general, Nahirniak says it has been the extremes that cause the most grief, as drought limits root growth and heavy rains can drown shallow roots.
According to Alberta Grains’ Director of Government Relations, Policy and Markets, Shannon Sereda, producers may modify crop rotations based on moisture outlooks. This may mean a shift between major crop types, depending on expected conditions which could include an increase in lower-risk feed grains and a reduction in higher-input crops in drier areas and Sereda notes that market conditions will continue to play a role in crop selection.
Lower flows and higher temperatures during drought can reduce dissolved oxygen, increase salinity, and stress aquatic life. Sediments and pollutants may accumulate during dry periods and be flushed downstream during storms.
Shallow lakes are also vulnerable. Alberta Lake Management Society Executive Director Bradley Peters notes that even small drops in water levels can cause significant shoreline retreat in lakes with gradual, shallow basins.
Managing drinking water during drought is complex. Alberta’s system follows a “first in time, first in right” approach, where senior licence holders have priority to divert water. During low flows, flexibility comes through voluntary sharing, staged restrictions, and suspending temporary licences.
Here in Camrose, our water supply is closely monitored. City Manager Malcolm Boyd says Driedmeat Lake’s winter levels are the lowest since 2009. The City’s Water Shortage Response Plan outlines staged conservation measures, and a current study is exploring alternative water sources from the North Saskatchewan River.
For residents, Boyd says conservation often begins outdoors in the summer. Rain barrels, drought-tolerant landscaping, and xeriscaping can reduce demand, while greywater reuse may play a larger role in the future.