Simulating a glimpse into future water supply

On the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, snow clings to the high mountaintops—but it won’t remain there. In fact, after entering rivers as meltwater, some of this snow will go on to water crops hundreds of kilometres away on the plains of Southern Alberta. It’s a natural system Albertans rely on everyday. And now, thanks to cutting-edge research, communities will be able to understand potential future changes to this water supply. Some will even have the chance to visualize these changes through virtual simulations.

In a new project supported by Alberta Innovates, University of Lethbridge professor Chris Hopkinson along with partners at the University of Waterloo, Government of Alberta and MacHydro are studying how future landcover trends will impact Alberta’s water supply. With climate change, forestry, wildfire and insect outbreaks all affecting forest cover on the Eastern Slopes, it is critical to better understand how vegetation and snowpacks interact.

“We are trying to take a more holistic approach to the challenge of water resources and understand how some of the less obvious changes like vegetation change are impacting snowpack,” said Hopkinson. “For example, if you take away the forest, more snow might accumulate because less of it is lost from the canopy, but then again it melts more quickly.”

Hopkinson and his team are using a combination of remote sensing and satellite data with on-the-ground sensors to track vegetation and snow cover patterns over time. Using sophisticated hydrological models, the team will simulate how landscape factors have influenced water supply to Alberta’s major drainages over the last 40 years. With a better understanding of the past, the team can also project how water supply may change in the future.

“What if we were in a year where we had both a moisture deficit in the Prairies and a low snowpack year? With climate change, there’s a good chance we’re going to see more years like that in the future,” added Hopkinson.

Beyond research and water management, the project provides a unique opportunity for education. Using their detailed imaging data, Hopkinson’s team are working with Calgary-based Fluid Planet to develop digital game environments that replicate real life mountain headwaters, starting with Alberta’s Castle region. It’s a tool that’s destined to be a hit in high schools.

“We know it’s not easy to get all high school students out to the headwaters. So how do we create that immersive experience? Imagine, in the virtual environment they could start at the Westcastle Field Station and go on a guided interpretive hike. As they move through and explore the environment, they learn more about the environment.”

Hopkinson and his partners at Fluid Planet and Inside Education plan to embed scenarios, like changing snowpack, weather or water levels, to help students understand what’s important to the landscape and how things are changing.

“It isn’t a replacement for being out in the real world with all of the sounds, smells and sensations. But we hope this will be a valuable tool for the students who can’t get out there.”

Learn more about the programs offered through our Environmental Innovation strategic initiative.

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.