A Medicine Hat fire truck drives past the location of a grass fire that occurred Monday. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Lisa Parent

Medicine Hat prepares for what could be its driest summer since 2001

Apr 23, 2024 | 6:05 PM

The summer of 2001 was the last time Medicine Hat saw a dry season comparable to the one expected this year, a city official said Tuesday.

Jamie Garland, the director of environmental utilities with the City of Medicine Hat, pointed to the diminished snowpack in the mountains.

“Those upstream reservoirs that that ultimately feed the Saskatchewan River are all still pretty critically low,” Garland said.

Garland said some of the key reservoirs in southern Alberta are currently around 35 per cent full, when typically they are at about 65 per cent.

In an effort to combat these low levels, Medicine Hat has entered phase one of the water shortage management plan.

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That includes asking residents to voluntarily reduce water usage.

Many city departments, including the parks and recreation division, are also enacting mandatory restrictions.

“They’ve committed to conserving up to 25 percent of their normal water use, as well internal features like water fountains around the city won’t be filled this year. Splash parks will be reduced hours,” Garland said.

The most important allocation of water resources are for potable drinking water, and fire suppression, according to Garland.

There could be more water restrictions if drought conditions hit southern Alberta in 2024.

Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and other municipalities signed landmark voluntary agreements with the province this spring stating they would cut water usage if required.

In Medicine Hat’s case, the city has agreed to cut local water use by 10 per cent as one of the voluntary parties.

READ: Medicine Hat signs voluntary agreement with Alberta to cut water usage by 10% in drought scenario

The agreements — which are not legally binding — will let more Albertans access water in a drought scenario and reduce the negative impacts on communities, the economy and the environment, government officials said.

A Medicine Hat official told CHAT News in February the city was not ruling out the use of mandatory water restrictions if there was a drought scenario this year.

Grass fires an issue

Although the grass is slightly green now, a dry summer is something the Cypress County fire chief is very concerned about.

Jason Linton and his team already responded to a grass fire last week.

“We take every fire seriously and upon investigation, we could clearly see that a cigarette butt started the fire off the corner of the road,” Linton explained.

He told CHAT News there were about half a dozen fires started because of cigarette butts last summer.

Most wildland fires caused by humans were found along highway one from the Newell county border, to the Saskatchewan border.

This summer, Linton and Cypress County Fire are working to raise awareness about the hazards associated with discarding cigarette butts in fields.

“A lot of people might just naturally throw a cigarette butt out not thinking anything of it, but [that] could have huge ramifications,” Linton said.

Cypress County Fire is holding a fire smart day in Elkwater on May 4. They hope it helps spread fire prevention awareness.

Those that see smoke or other signs of a fire are requested to call 911.

— with files from Eli J. Ridder