During a recent City of Cold Lkae corporate priorities meeting held on January 16, attention was drawn to a pressing matter highlighted in a letter from Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Rebecca Schulz. The letter emphasized the critical need for an updated drought plan considering the prevailing moisture deficit across the province.
City administration alerted council members to the outdated state of the current emergency drought plan, stressing the immediate need for attention. Furthermore, discussions during the meeting addressed the concerning decrease in water levels observed in Cold Lake, the city’s namesake and nearest body of water.
CAO Kevin Nagoya underscored the severity of the situation stating, “Everyone is seeing that there isn’t a lot of moister. The lake level in Cold Lake is down quite considerably.”
The year-to-date accumulated precipitation in the Cold Lake is only 25 percent of the normal amount for this time. Cold Lakes’ current water level sits 30 centimeters below the mean historical lake level for February.
Nagoya informed council members that the government is at stage four of its five-stage drought management emergency plan. He stressed the crucial role of municipal involvement in addressing the issue, especially in updating and synchronizing drought plans, as requested by Minister Schulz.
Highlighting the outdated nature of Cold Lake’s water management policies, Nagoya emphasized the importance of regional collaboration, particularly in defining expectations regarding water use during potential restrictions.
Nagoya also outlined possible local emergencies that could necessitate a robust drought emergency plan, such as the malfunction of the water treatment plant or a catastrophic reservoir failure. He acknowledged the province’s authority to enforce an emergency on municipalities if necessary.
Council members agreed to review the information presented during an upcoming priorities council meeting scheduled for February 20, recognizing the urgency of updating the city’s drought plan amidst dropping water levels and prevailing drought conditions.
