At the 2012 North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance AGM, Dr. Lyndon Gyurek of EPCOR delivered a presentation on how EPCOR is assessing the potential impact of climate change on the supply of drinking water in Edmonton and the capital region.
In a study of tree ring data matched with a 100 years of flow data, the past fluctuations of water supply in the North Saskatchewan River are projected back to 1060 A.D. The tree ring to hydrology modelling projects that flows in paleo-history have been outside the range (higher and lower) than the current 100 year record. Extended periods (in the order of 30 to 50 years) were projected. The cycles of wet and dry cycles could be related to El Nino and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
When climate change is added to the paleo-hydrological trends stresses on water supply become apparent in a watershed where supply has been taken for granted.
A related report prepared for the City of Edmonton can be found here.
