RED DEER RIVER MUNICIPAL USERS GROUP LOOKING BACK – GOING FORWARD 2006 – 2020 2020 - 2025 1 Water is the lifeblood of municipalities. It is vital for municipal sustainability, including economic viability, environmental integrity, social well-being and cultural vibrancy. Red Deer Municipal Users Group HANDBOOK ROLES, PERSPECTIVES and CONTENT R0LES: The roles of this handbook are: wetlands) are not overlooked. They are considered To serve as an introduction to the Red Deer as important related aspects of watershed River Municipal Users Group (“MUG”), its conservation and source water protection. interest in water and matters related to water CONTENT: The first part of the handbook provides To guide future MUG activities in response an overview of the Red Deer River Municipal Users to Red Deer River watershed water Group, its interest and roles in water and water resource management priorities identified management, and some fundamental background by MUG and views of water in southern Alberta, including the To provide background information for Red Deer River system. The second part addresses MUG municipal members, other five priority water management issues identified by municipalities and other sectors with MUG early in 2020. interests in water and the future well-being of communities, the economy and the CONTEXT: in this report, unless otherwise stated: environment throughout the Red Deer “Municipalities” refers to municipalities River watershed. within the Red Deer River Watershed and/or receive water from the Red Deer River for PERSPECTIVES: The handbook has two basic municipal, agricultural and other licenced perspectives. The first is to spotlights the key uses. municipal interests in water and their roles in the “Watershed” refers to the Red Deer River use, conservation and management of water. The watershed, sometimes also “basin” second is the focus primarily on flowing waters (i.e. “Water” mostly refers to water within the the Red Deer River and its tributaries) within the Red Red Deer River, including its tributaries. Deer River watershed (“the watershed”). However, groundwater and standing water (i.e. lakes, ponds, _______________________________________________________________________ “Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself. Water is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between society and the environment.” United Nations. _ Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy states: “In Alberta, our quality of life, and life itself, depends on having a healthy and sustainable water supply for the environment, for our c communities and for our economic well-being.” _____________________________________________________________ 2 RED DEER RIVER MUNICIPAL USERS GROUP FORMATION: In August 2006 municipalities from GOALS: The goals of MUG are those of the throughout the Red Deer River watershed began to Alberta Water for Life Strategy: meet regarding the long-term availability of water to Safe secure supply of drinking water municipalities. Three factors prompted these for all residents of the region. meetings: Reliable quality water supplies for a 1. the 2006 South Saskatchewan Water sustainable economy. Management Plan set much lower limits to Healthy aquatic ecosystems. the amount of water that could be And in doing so: allocated (withdrawn for use) from the Red Encourage communities, both large and Deer River in comparison to the Bow and small, rural and urban, to work together to Oldman River systems effectively manage water and its use, while 2. shortly thereafter, interests in gaining new conserving the environment of the water licences rose, including an application watershed. for a very large licence for agricultural and related uses OBJECTIVES: Some of the objectives of MUG are: 3. recognition there will continue to be Fully support the Alberta Water for Life growing and competing demands for water. Strategy Encourage the effective management of In May 2008, the Red Deer River Municipal Users water resources throughout the watershed Group Municipal Group became an official Ensure that reliable water supplies, both association when its bylaws were approved by the quantity and quality, are available for a Provincial Corporate Registry. sustainable and growing economy throughout the watershed, including its PURPOSES: The purposes of the Red Deer River municipalities Municipal Users Group are: Promote the conservation and effective use Provide a forum for municipalities to of water discuss water supply, water use and Encourage watershed conservation and water quality source water protection throughout the Serve as an advocate of municipal entire basin interests in the supply, use, delivery Inform and update municipalities on water and quality of water matters and concerns Foster communication among Maintain an information base that will stakeholders having an interest in provide consistent and current information water with the aim of working pertaining to water supplies and issues together to protect, conserve and Support integrated watershed management wisely use the water resources in planning through Red Deer River Watershed the Red Deer River system and its Alliance watershed Participate supportive relationships with Promote proactive collaborative other stakeholders, including the Province of partnerships to work together towards shared water related goals Alberta, major water use sectors and and interests. influencers (e.g. agriculture, industry, forestry, conservation groups). 3 ACTIONS TO DATE: Since its inception MUG has carried out numerous actions. These include: Liaise with and assist the Red Deer River Input to the ten-year review of the South Watershed Alliance re: Saskatchewan River Basin Water o Red Deer River Watershed Atlas Management Plan coordinated by the Bow o Presentations at Alliance general River Basin Council meetings and forums re: municipal Support the interbasin transfer of Red Deer interests and actions to protect River water to communities east of the water and conserve water quality Town of Stettler, north of Red Deer to Blackfalds, Lacombe and Ponoka and north o Provide municipal perspectives from Alix to the Bashaw area information for Blueprint – Phase 1 Successfully opposed the interbasin transfer Water Quality: An Integrated of water south to CrossIron Mills, which is Watershed Management Plan for located in the Bow River watershed. the Red Deer River Watershed. Input to the Special Areas Water Supply Plan Encourage municipalities to conserve and which questioned the large volume of water effectively use water (ongoing) initially proposed, then generally favoring Input to the Province’s 2013 “Water the project with a revised, smaller volume of Conversations” re: update of the Water for water Life Strategy Submissions to the Provincial Government Input to the WaterSmart report Adaptation to support floodproofing in highly prone Roadmap for Sustainable Water reaches of the Red Deer River, most notably Management in the South Saskatchewan Drumheller and Sundre. River Basin (January 2016) Promote consideration of additional water Input to the Alberta Water Council’ s report storage in Red Deer River basin on source water protection by providing Conduct municipal workshops and seminars MUG documents that highlight municipal on the vital importance of water, watershed interests in and supportive actions for conservation and source water protection. source water MAJOR REPORTS: MUG also has a number of significant reports, including: Water Assurance Study: provides a number describes tools municipalities may use to of proactive approaches to securing water protect source water, including its quality for municipalities, including reserving water A Municipal Report on Integrating Source for municipal use, net diversion licencing, Water Protection and Watershed return flow credits, and allowing Conservation into Municipal Planning: municipalities in an emergency to access encourages municipalities to integrate instream flow need water source water protection and watershed Source Water Quality Primer: an conservation into the DNA of municipal introduction to the municipal importance of statutory plans source water quality and background Natural Assets – A Statutory Plan Guide: information on water availability in the basin provides a comprehensive list of policy Toolkit for Protecting Source Water Quality guides to meaningfully address the in the Red Deer River Watershed: describes conservation and effective use of arable threats to water quality, clarifies municipal land, water, air and environmentally roles in source water protection and significant areas, and key planning approaches thereto. 4 WATER: VITAL IMPORTANCE and MUNICIPAL ROLES VITAL IMPORTANCE: Water is vital to the sustained . Municipalities play a role in managing water well-being of municipalities, both rural and urban. systems that impact residents, business and industry.” (RMA. Rural Municipalities of “No water, no municipality. Water is the lifeblood Alberta. Position Statement on Water). of municipalities. It is essential to all five elements of municipal sustainability: The AUMA supports these views in stating: Economic viability depends on the “One of the most important ways that we availability of water for local residential, can effectively manage our water is to commercial and industrial development as change