After years of drought concerns and El Niño-driven dry winters, Alberta’s latest water supply outlook is offering a rare dose of optimism.New data released shows mountain snowpack levels across much of the province are normal to well above normal, marking the most favourable early-season conditions since early 2022. Provincial officials say improved precipitation levels are restoring much-needed moisture across Alberta after several challenging years.Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter called the results “great news” for farmers, businesses and communities that rely on stable water supplies. He said the province will continue monitoring conditions closely in the coming months as part of efforts to build greater drought resilience.Agriculture and Irrigation Minister R.J. Sigurdson said while 2025 brought improved growing conditions for many regions, localized weather events still strained producers. He said early moisture indicators suggest a more promising 2026 growing season..February’s forecast projects river volumes higher than in 2025, with several basins expected to see above-normal flows. The Milk River basin is forecast to see normal volumes, while the North Saskatchewan and Red Deer River basins are expected to run above normal. The Bow and Oldman River basins are projected to range from normal to above normal flows.Reservoir storage levels in southern Alberta are also in solid condition. Total storage remains normal in the Oldman and South Saskatchewan River basins and above normal in the Bow River basin.Basin-wide mountain snowpack averages currently measure between 44 mm and 172 mm more snow-water equivalent than at the same time in February 2025.Despite the encouraging outlook, drought advisories remain in place in parts of the province. As of Wednesday, 40 water management areas are under winter or frozen conditions with conditional water shortage advisories. Alberta’s drought stages range from Stage 0, indicating no drought, to Stage 5, representing severe drought.As of Jan. 31, several major basins — including the Milk, Oldman, South Saskatchewan, Bow, Red Deer, North Saskatchewan, Peace and Hay river basins — were classified at Stage 2. The Buffalo River and Great Slave Lake basins were listed at Stage 3, while the Sounding Creek, Athabasca, Battle Creek and Beaver river basins were at Stage 1.Alberta conducts mountain snowpack surveys monthly from Feb. 1 to June 1. From February through August, snowpack and precipitation data are used to forecast water supply conditions for 20 locations across central and southern Alberta, stretching from the North Saskatchewan River basin to the Milk River basin.With most of Alberta’s annual moisture typically arriving during March and April snowfalls and June rains, provincial officials say the coming months will be critical in determining whether the strong early-season outlook translates into sustained water security through the summer.
