The Alberta government have released its 2024 Drought Response Plan to help support the province during any dry conditions over the summer.
“Alberta’s new 2024 Drought Response Plan will help guide the province through any and all drought conditions,” wrote the provincial government in a release. “This is a plan covering everything from conservation plans and water-sharing agreements to declaring an emergency and prioritizing water for human health and safety.”
Although the recent rain brought some moisture to the province, there are still 40 active wildfires in the province, with most of them in the northern part of the province.
In just 2024 alone, firefighters in the province have extinguished around 235 wildfires, with wildfire season being announced back in February.
The Drought Response Plan is in five stages, with Alberta currently at Stage 4. This means that the government is working alongside major water users and creating water shortage response plans in anticipation of an emergency.
However, the province added that it would only declare an emergency under the Water Act as a last resort. There are three conditions that would make the province declare an emergency: If there’s not enough water, if there’s distress from local authorities, or if the water management system becomes overwhelmed.
Alberta has never declared an emergency under the Water Act before, with 51 water shortage advisories in place across the province.
