Part A: Water Consumption patterns in Southern Alberta and Canada. There are 4 main uses for river and freshwater in Canada and Southern Alberta. Namely they are Industry, Agriculture, Power Production, and Municipal/Personal Use. These all have significant impacts on the economy, leisure and livelihood of the Southern Alberta region.  However, it must be noted that fresh water though seeming infinite is often a non renewable resource. Thus it is in our best interest to keep the water clear for future generations!

•  According to environment Canada, in 1991, industries accounted for 61% of the net intake of freshwater. These include nuclear reactors, which use water as a coolant.
• Water is the lifeblood of industry. It is used as a raw material coolant, a solvent, a transport agent, and as a source of energy. An automobile coming off the assembly line, for example, will have used at least 120 000 litres of water —   80,000 to produce its tonne of steel and 40,000 more for the actual fabrication process. Many thousands  more litres of water are involved in the manufacture of its plastic, glass,  fabric components. Manufacturing accounted for 16% of water withdrawals in 1991 (Canada). Paper and allied products, chemicals, and  primary metals were the three main industrial users.
• Over the years, industry has realized the need for water conservation. The manufacturing sector has a gross use almost twice the water intake, thanks to recalculation. (Stats Canada 1991)
• In southern Alberta the most intensive of industrial uses for water would be in the food manufacturing sector.
• Industrial consumption of water in Lethbridge is about 10% of net water consumption. Where Stats Canada also records the net industrial water usage for Alberta industry is ( 447 MCM of 6221 total MCM) 7.19% of water consumption. Compare this to an national average of 16.15% of consumed water is deferred to industry.

        ** MCM stands for Million Cubic Meters**

Diagram of Water Consumption

• Most of farmers in Canada rely on natural precipitation as the source for agricultural water supply. However irrigation is cited by Statistics Canada as the fourth largest consumer of water in Canada.
• Most of Canada's irrigation occurs in southern Alberta and parts of Southwestern Saskatchewan to a lesser extent. In Alberta only two watersheds are used for irrigational purposes. (a) The Oldman River and (b) The Bow River are the most widely irrigated.
• Thus it can be said that irrigation is the "life blood" to the people of Southern Alberta
• There has been nearly double the agricultural diversification of crops in Southern Alberta, and a decrease of crop failures exceeding 75% since the Oldman River dam has been established in Southern Alberta.

• An added bonus to the regulated waters for irrigation in Alberta, is the production of hydropower.
• In the region of the Oldman river, dams like the Waterton Dam on the Belly river, and the Oldman River Dam, on the Oldman River have a power production ability exceeding 200 Megawatts, this may not seem like a lot of power compared to the 6180 Megawatts of power from the Grand Coulee Dam in the United Sates, but this is significant power for Southern Albertans, who often have to rely on their electricity traveling great distances to reach our homes.
• Though Hydroelectricity represents less then 5% of  southern Alberta's power production, though it is gaining popularity with Alberta politicians as an inexpensive, and renewable source of Energy for the booming economy of Canada.

• One of the least and yet most concerning withdrawals of water in Canada. A source of pure and clean water sources for Alberta's quickly becomes a concern as agriculture, oil, and industry boom in Canada. In 1977, the government of Alberta established the "Alberta Surface Water Quality Objectives " to ensure that all Alberta's would have a safe drinking water source for decades to come. According to a report established by the Canada-Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture, they found that Alberta's farmers were compromising the guidelines of water quality established by the Alberta Government. This report brought special concern to the drinking water of farming families whose water source were often to be found contaminated or have unsafe levels of bacteria, and free ions. A major concern to Alberta's is the hardness of water, sodium, carbonates, and nitrites ions  have affected the quality of water for Southern Alberta's.

• Besides drinking water, residents withdraw water for other consumptive reasons such as watering their lawns. This has become a concern for flooding of residential basements.

Recreation...

•     Southern Alberta's have always enjoyed the recreation of water in this area, and abundance of it. Irrigational projects, such as the Oldman River Dam and the Park Lake Reservior, have become the source of entertainment for boaters, anglers, water skiers and nature enthusiasts alike. Large scale projects such as the Oldman River Dam, have even become somewhat of resort area where camping enthusiasts make a home for several months of the year. On the Oldman River Dam, recreation has become a source of economy providing jobs and increased sales for local residents of Pincher Creek (and surrounding areas) Please take the time to visit this link and gain some insight into the nature of man made recreation sites in southern Alberta. (Oldman River Dam Link).