The South Saskatchewan River is seen almost exactly one year ago when water and moisture levels in southern Alberta were a major concern. Heading into winter 2024 however, recent reports show do show higher than normal figures for soil moisture.--News File Photo
@MedicineHatNews
Soil moisture in much of southeast and east-central Alberta is “moderately high” to “high” heading into winter compared to long-term normals.
That’s a reversal from recent years after most summers from 2017 to 2023 were drier than usual.
Final runoff and river-level figures from the 2024 summer are out as well, showing below normal flow on the Milk and Oldman systems, and normal flow on the Bow River.
According to Alberta Agriculture on Nov. 14, subsoil moisture was high in areas including the Cypress Hills toward Medicine Hat, much of the County of Newell and Special Areas No. 3.
The remainder is “moderately high” compared to an average year, aside from regions south of the hills, County of Forty Mile and immediate region of Medicine Hat, which is “normal.”
Drier spots across the province were southwest of Red Deer, and the counties of Warner, Cardston and the MD of Pincher Creek.
In 2023, the region experienced a “once in every 50 years” general lack of precipitation and low levels heading into freeze-up, sparking concerns of water shortage.
This year, “Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation-modelled soil moisture conditions … were ‘generally normal to moderately (once in 3-6 years) high’ in southern Alberta,” the outlooks reads.
The final water supply outlook of the year, published for November, states that the March to September period saw flow on the Milk River between 38 to 51 per cent of normal and the Oldman about 75 per cent of normal. The Bow began the summer flowing at 80 per cent of normal, rising to near normal later in the summer despite slightly smaller than average snowpack.
The long-term meteorological forecast calls for near normal conditions and precipitation in southern Alberta over the winter.
