Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Executive Summary
Water management challenges, water shortages, and water sharing across an international boundary have been present in the Milk River watershed since the first decade of the 20th century. Challenges with water management and water shortages were accentuated in May 2020 with the failure of a concrete drop structure in Montana, resulting in significantly reduced flows and water shortages in the portion of the Milk River running through southern Alberta during the repair of the structure. In addition to the infrastructure failure in 2020, low natural flows in the Milk River have also been frequent in recent years; irrigation activities have been curtailed in three of the last five years due to water shortages.
Agricultural irrigation is one of the primary uses of water in the Milk River watershed, and irrigated crop production is the largest economic driver. The average annual value of irrigation along the Milk River accounts for between $6 and $7.7 million. During the diversion failure of 2020, MRWCC and the Milk River Water Users estimated that the loss of irrigation by July 1st would result in lost production of approximately $2.4 million [1].
To prepare for future water stressed situations, this project summary identifies ten specific measures that can be implemented to mitigate the severity of impacts associated with water shortage events in the Milk River watershed. To develop a water shortage contingency plan, WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. (WaterSMART) has gathered information through interviews with water managers, agricultural producers, community leaders, and regulatory experts and has reviewed relevant documentation including existing municipal water back-up plans, transboundary agreements, and water management reports.
The water shortage measures presented in this Report are intended to be actionable in the short and medium term. Four outcomes expected to have the greatest impact on mitigating the impact of water shortage periods were prioritized by the Milk River Water Shortage Contingency Plan Project Committee. These outcomes include 1) the development of a water sharing agreement(s), 2) the development of a water use reporting template, 3) the identification of options for off-stream storage to supplement late-season streamflow, and 4) an evaluation of new locations for bulk water fill stations.
This Report does not focus on long term actions that could result in substantial changes to water availability in the Milk River watershed, such as on-stream storage, or changes to how water is apportioned by the International Joint Commission (IJC). However, it is suggested that these longer-term changes that could significantly benefit water security for both water users in Canada and the United States should continue to be pursued.
