The funds would offer $25 million per 12 months for the subsequent 5 years for the Drought and Flood Safety Program, anticipated to launch later this 12 months
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The province plans to commit $125 million over the subsequent 5 years to assist defend communities from droughts and floods.
“As a result of a robust El Niño not seen in over seven years, we’re seeing hotter temperatures coupled with much less precipitation,” Setting and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz stated throughout a information convention Monday at Calgary’s Bow Habitat Station. “This has led to empty river beds and dangerously low reservoirs throughout our province. It is a severe scenario, and our authorities acknowledged we needed to take speedy motion in Funds 2024.”
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The funds — which was tabled final Thursday — would offer $25 million per 12 months for the subsequent 5 years for the Drought and Flood Safety Program, anticipated to launch later this 12 months.
Initiatives underneath this system might embrace relocating water intakes, enhancing water entry and storage, and constructing new flood obstacles, Schulz stated throughout the information convention. The province just isn’t offering particular steerage to municipalities about what kinds of initiatives they need to apply for underneath this system.
Schulz cited the Municipal District of Pincher Creek, which final August began hauling water downstream of the Oldman Reservoir for example of the kind of challenge that might be eligible for a grant underneath the brand new program. The municipality spent just below $1 million final 12 months to haul water.
“This program will assist communities like Pincher Creek construct new water infrastructure to fulfill group wants for the long run,” stated Schulz.
The brand new program is modelled on a former program, the Alberta Group Resilience Program, stated Schulz, who expects grant functions to be made shortly after it launches.
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“I’d anticipate functions would begin rolling in straight away, particularly in a few of these communities the place the necessity is pressing and initiatives are already underway or being labored on between the communities and our division,” she stated.
Alberta dealing with severe drought
Monday’s announcement comes because the Alberta authorities prepares for an additional 12 months of significant drought. Talks on water scarcity agreements with main customers are underway — Schulz reported Monday these negotiations are “going fairly properly” — and the province has employed WaterSMART Options to organize drought modelling.
The province is presently in Stage 4 out of 5 in its water scarcity administration response plan, and there are presently 51 water scarcity advisories in place throughout Alberta. Snowpack measurements taken between late January and early February discovered that 31 of 33 have been beneath common or a lot beneath common. In southern Alberta, storage ranges at quite a few reservoirs are properly beneath regular.
“We haven’t seen a scenario like this since 2001,” Schulz stated Monday.
Whereas Calgary and southern Alberta have been blanketed by snow over the weekend, circumstances are nonetheless very dry in comparison with typical years, stated Schulz.
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“In fact we’re hoping for extra, however we will’t financial institution on that,” she stated. “We’ve got to be ready, and that’s what this announcement is about.”
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Monday’s announcement is a part of a much bigger plan to enhance water infrastructure within the province, stated Schulz. Different initiatives within the works embrace ongoing building of the Springbank dam west of Calgary, and looking out into Bow River reservoir choices and potential new reservoirs, doubtlessly close to Crimson Deer and Brooks.
“A few of these bigger infrastructure items are completely going to be essential to present us the capability we have to climate these excessive occasions — whether or not they be flood or drought — sooner or later, and ensure that we’re protecting the water that now we have,” Schulz stated.
NDP advocates for regional strategy, deal with wetlands
The Opposition NDP stated Monday’s announcement lacks sufficient motion to handle the drought Albertans are already experiencing.
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Sarah Elmeligi, the NDP setting and tourism critic, stated a regional strategy can be a greater method to deal with the drought plan, since drought points by no means have an effect on only one group.
“The UCP’s piecemeal strategy to initiatives means smaller communities with fewer sources for pitching initiatives could fall by way of the cracks,” Elmeligi stated in an announcement.
Monday’s announcement additionally doesn’t have a plan to boost and increase pure wetlands, which is “by far the most affordable and handiest method to mitigate drought,” she stated.
“I do know that Albertans will bravely face this doubtlessly devastating season with the co-operative spirit they’ve all the time proven,” stated Elmeligi. “The chance, nevertheless, of the federal government refusing to take local weather change critically should not hinder the way it prepares for the acute drought danger this 12 months.”
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