File photo of an irrigation system on a farm in southern Alberta. (Image Credit: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Water Supply

Water supplies in southern Alberta strong in early 2026

Feb 19, 2026 | 9:50 AM

A new report indicates that southern Alberta might not be facing the severity of droughts in had for the last few years.

The Alberta Government’s Water Supply Outlook predicts “Normal to above normal March to September river volumes in the Milk, Oldman, Bow, Red Deer, and North Saskatchewan River basins.”

The Oldman River and Milk River basins supply water to many areas south of Calgary.

It adds that “These March to September volumes are predicted to be above or well above the river volumes observed in 2025.”

The majority of mountain snowpack sites surveyed reported higher or much higher than typical levels.

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Mountain runoffs are forecast to be normal to above the 30-year average in the Oldman River basin and normal in the Milk River basin. Both are considered to be “Well above the 2025 observed March-September volumes.”

Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, says, after three consecutive years of low early-season water supply forecasts, current conditions are the most favourable since early 2022.

“This is great news for our farmers, businesses, communities, and all Albertans who use and rely on water each and every day. We will continue closely monitoring our supply over the coming months and keep working to help build a more drought-resilient province,” says Hunter.

Southern Albertans received a decent amount of snow in mid-February, but as of Feb. 4, areas around Lethbridge were slightly lagging in soil moisture. Closer towards the Rockies, greater amounts of moisture were detected in the ground.

Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson adds that they are taking a whole-government approach to managing provincial water systems to ensure Albertans have a safe, reliable water supply.

“There have been plenty of challenges thrown at our farmers and ranchers over the past few years and, while growing conditions were better in 2025 for most of the province, localized weather events and other stressors put pressure on many producers,” says Sigurdson. “I’m optimistic that early moisture indicators paint a positive picture for the 2026 growing season.”

You can see the full Water Supply Outlook here.