Alberta Rivers and Flow Estimation

Friday Read | November 2021

Ashley Johnson, Education and Outreach Coordinator

Today’s blog post is a short one. I read the 2020 Agency Report to the Mackenzie River Basin Board. I mention this, because it had two main things I’m going to highlight in this short blog post. If you’re keen on reading the full report, it’s linked here.

For some background context, the Mackenzie River Basin Board is an entity that oversees a lot of moving parts in the Mackenzie River Basin, which includes the Athabasca River. Since the Mackenzie Basin is so big, agencies report on their sections every year to the board.  

Alberta River Forecast Centre:  

This website includes flow information for Alberta rivers (including the Athabasca), available at https://rivers.alberta.ca/. The forecast center is reviewing and updating its forecasting, including its flood early warning system! It’s also available as a smartphone app. 

Flow Estimation Tool:  

AEP has developed an Alberta Flow Estimation Tool for Ungauged Watersheds (AFETUW). This online tool will allow users to find watershed boundaries at any point on a stream within Alberta. It also allows for the estimation of ungauged flows, and has a search tool for surface water and groundwater license information.