Lethbridge asking residents conserve water as high streamflow advisory issued for Oldman River

A high streamflow advisory has been issued for the Oldman River, with water levels expected to rise between one metre and 1.5 metres.

The City of Lethbridge is asking residents to conserve water as heavy rainfall in southern Alberta has prompted a high streamflow advisory for the Oldman River.

Issued Monday, the advisory says water levels may rise one to 1.5 metres. It adds that no major flooding is expected.

The flow of the Oldman River has increased nearly 500 cubic meters per second compared to May 25.

That higher flow has washed mud and debris into the river, making the water much murkier than normal, creating challenges at Lethbridge’s water treatment plant.

“We’re currently producing water at less than current demand,” said Jason Drenth, general manager of water and wastewater with the City of Lethbridge.

He says the plant is making up for that shortage by using water from storage reservoirs across the city.

But to keep that system running smoothly, residents and businesses are asked to cut back on non-essential water use over the next few days, Drenth said.

That includes outdoor watering, keeping showers short and delaying laundry and dishwashing.

Drenth said crews at the water treatment plants are monitoring water conditions and “striving to get through this without any major service disruptions.”

The City of Lethbridge says it’s continuing to monitor water levels in the Oldman River.

Mark Svenson, environment manager with the city, says the water levels in the river are within normal range.

“This is how a normal spring should look. The flows should move up and they should move down on a regular basis,” he said.

While there’s no concern for the river flooding, some overland flooding has been reporting, including at Henderson Lake.

The puddling water is an example of what residents need to watch for, Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge says.

“This is the time if you discover if you’re got leaves in your eavestroughs so making sure you’re fishing those out,” she said.

She adds anyone with a rain barrel should make sure any overflow is pointed away from the walls of their homes, and keep all debris clear of storm drains.

The rain comes following a relatively dry spring for most of southern Alberta.

“This rain is seeping in nicely and is filling that soil profile back up, so for the long term I think it’s going to be beneficial,” said Trevor Deering, the commercial innovation manager at Farming Smarter.

While snow early in the spring helped with soil moisture, Deering says the rest of the spring has been quite dry with extreme heat.

The rain has eased some nerves, he says, but concerns about too much rain falling too fast in low-lying areas of fields, mixed with strong winds, remain for farmers in the region.

However, he says overall, optimism remains high.

“Getting rain now is going to help the seedlings roots and establish themselves,” Deering said.

“If you can get your seedlings established then when it dries up or if it dries up, they’re going to be stronger in the long run.”