From peaks to plains: InnoTech’s multidisciplinary team explores water security in Alberta

Downstream from Alberta’s majestic rocky mountain peaks, a silent crisis is unfolding: melting glaciers and growing communities have amplified demands on a limited water supply. To support more sustainable water management, InnoTech, a subsidiary of Alberta Innovates, is leading a project to explore mountain, surface and ground water hydrology. The initiative focuses on the Highwood and Sheep River watershed, where water bans can last for entire summers.

InnoTech team members Aprami Jaggi, Tatiana Sirbu, and Michael Wendlandt collecting field samples.

“We’re highly dependent on mountain-fed sources and as our climate evolves, understanding water recharge rates becomes crucial for water security,” says Aprami Jaggi, Geochemist and Experienced Researcher at InnoTech. Jaggi is part of a diverse research team, whose combined expertise in the topics of geochemistry, isotopes, modeling and hydrology are the foundation of the project’s success. The team includes Dayal Wijayarathne, modeling hydrogeologist; Michael Wendlandt, ecohydrologist; John Gibson, isotope hydrogeologist; Tatiana Sirbu, chemist; and Paul Eby, isotope analytical expert.

Jaggi says we need to act quickly to better understand how mountains contribute to water sources as glaciers are shrinking and disappearing much faster than anticipated. With a rapidly growing population, the water demand is higher than ever.

“There is a large disconnect between where people perceive their water to come from and how much is actually available from that source,” says Wendlandt.

While the public may assume a fast-flowing stream is fed by healthy glaciers, stream flow records from 1976 to 2015 reveal that higher stream flow rates are in fact the result of glaciers dwindling and sending more meltwater into the watershed.

“While this appears as a sign of abundance, it’s really a sign of a degrading resource,” says Gibson.

To better understand how much water is coming from different sources, the team has collected samples throughout the watershed. By analyzing certain isotopes that are unique to different water sources, the team can tell if water comes from direct mountain runoff or groundwater recharge. With this data, the team plans to create a model that can simulate the impact of climate change on the watershed.

Partnerships with local municipalities, including Okotoks, High River and Foothills County provide invaluable insights into existing groundwater spring locations within their jurisdictions. The InnoTech team is awaiting results from base flow samples, which will be integrated into the model to inform water management strategies, mitigation measures and policy development. Jaggi praises the team’s diverse expertise, which has significantly contributed to the progress they’ve made so far.

“Working with a team like this has been a fantastic asset,” she says, emphasizing the team’s ability to think outside of the box and make informed decisions on the fly.

The project demonstrates the impact InnoTech’s diverse team brings to the table when it comes to solving complex problems for Albertans and in this case, lays the foundation for a more sustainable and resilient water future for the province.

Learn more about the applied research services offered through Innotech Alberta.

This article is part of Making Waves, an annual Alberta Innovates publication highlighting water solutions we support. You can read more stories from this issue below.