Snowpack strong, but drought risk persists

The Oldman Watershed Council told Crowsnest Pass council on March 24 that water quality in the mountain headwaters remains strong, but drought on the land could still become a major concern in 2026.

Shannon Frank, chief executive officer of the council, said the organization’s role is to serve as a neutral forum for water related issues across the Oldman River basin while also supporting monitoring, planning and on the ground stewardship.

“What I like to say is that we’re neutral but not silent,” Frank told council.

The Oldman Watershed Council is one of 11 watershed councils in Alberta and covers the entire Oldman River basin, including the Crowsnest area in the headwaters.

Frank said the organization tries to provide balanced information on contentious subjects such as coal development and drought by looking at environmental, economic and social impacts.

“We will share information about the pros, the cons, the social impacts, the environmental impacts, the economic impacts, and really just give people all the information that they need to make informed decisions,” she said.

Frank said the group supports landowners, municipalities and community organizations through programs such as its Watershed Legacy Program, which helps fund stewardship projects including fencing wetlands, building off stream watering systems, streambank planting and cleanup work.

In the Pass, that has included work with the Crowsnest Pass Quad Squad on responsible recreation outreach, bridge decking and weed pulls.

The group also continues to build out its aquatic monitoring program in the headwaters. Frank said about 60 sites have now been sampled from Waterton to Willow Creek and the results have remained largely positive.

“The results show that the water quality is still quite good in the headwaters area, the mountain area, which is really great to see,” she said.

The organization is also preparing a new state of the watershed assessment for 2027, which will update the last basin wide report completed in 2010. Frank said the next version will be more holistic, incorporating groundwater, Indigenous perspectives and social and economic indicators in addition to environmental data.

Councillor Dean Ward asked when the 2010 watershed report would be updated and whether the council has worked with Northback.

Frank confirmed the new report is planned for 2027 and said there has not been direct project work with Northback, though the watershed council has provided information during consultation processes tied to coal mine proposals.

The watershed council has also begun groundwater monitoring in communities that rely heavily on wells. Frank said nine wells are now part of that program, including three in the Crowsnest Pass area.

She said the work began in response to drought conditions and growing public concern about groundwater supplies.

Although mountain snowpack is in decent shape this year, Frank cautioned that does not eliminate drought risk for ranchers, farmers and wildfire conditions later in the season.

“I suspect there will be water in the streams and in the reservoirs,” she said. “But again, it’s that drought on the land, that the fire risk and the dry land farmers and the ranchers who often don’t have enough water.”

Councillor Doreen Johnson asked whether the group is involved in monitoring whirling disease. Frank said staff do check for it while conducting field work and notify the province if they find it.

“We did find it in a couple more spots,” she said.

Frank noted the disease has become one of the most searched topics on the organization’s website because people often look online after seeing fish swim in circles.

The council is also preparing to launch a new ecosystem services calculator on its website in about a month. Frank said the tool will help municipalities and others estimate the financial value of services provided by natural landscapes, including water filtration, soil support and air quality benefits.

“That’ll be a good tool for everyone to use,” she said.

Frank reminded council the watershed council also sends annual donation requests to municipalities across the basin, calculated per resident. For Crowsnest Pass, she said the requested contribution is just under $3,000.