Alberta Environment’s
River Forecast Centre
Presentation to the UNSTABLE Workshop
Edmonton, Alberta
April 18, 2007
Ray Keller
Team Leader, Flow Forecasting
Water Management Operations
North Saskatchewan River at Edmonton – June 2005
What River Forecasting Does
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Real-time monitoring and reporting
Water Management
Infrastructure Management
Water Supply Forecasting
Flood Forecasting
1. What do we monitor and report?
Real-time data
•
Stream levels and flows
•
Lake and reservoir levels
•
Precipitation
•
Snowpack
•
Temperature, wind, humidity
•
Water quality
Data Networks
• Over 350 Hydrometric Stations (Water Levels/Flows)
• Over 420 Meteorologic Stations
• (AENV, EC, AAFRD, TransAlta, SRD)
• 117 Snow Course Locations
• 15 Automated Snow Pillows
Most stations (except snow courses) report hourly data
Currently takes two man days per day to QA/QC real-time data
Real-time
Hydrometric Stations
• Over 350 currently
• Stream, lake, reservoir levels
• Satellite/phone links
Real-time
Meteorological Stations
~ 218 Federal and
Provincial
Hourly Data
• Precipitation
• Temperature
• Relative humidity
• Wind speed
NO RT H W EST T ERRI T O RI ES
AL BERT A
Forestry
Meteorological Stations
Lake
Ath a b a s c a
A L B E RT A
Fo r t
A L B E RT A
S A S K A T CHE W A N
M cM ur r ay
Pe a c e Riv e r
Athabasc
a
Pea
ce
B R IT IS H C
O L U M B IA
River
Rive
r
Hi g h L e v e l
G r a n d e Pr a ir ie
L e s s e r Sl a v e L a k e
Co l d
Lake
Sas
katc
hew
an
Ri v e r
• ~ 190 stations
• Mostly in north
Ed m o n t o n
No
rth
• Most report 2x-daily
Ca m ro s e
er
iv
R
Jasper
Ba
tt
le
Re d De e r
Ste ttl e r
Pro v o s t
Re d
De
Ba n ff
er
Ca lg a r y
River
Bow
er
Riv
River
O
an
m
ld
L e t h b r id g e
U. S. A.
M e d ic in e Ha t
• Some report 1x-daily
Snow Course Sites
46 Mountain
71 Plains
Cold
Lak e
Snow Pillows
TWIN LAKES
Sa
ska
t
North
che
wa
River
n
PADDLE RIVER HEADWATERS
Edmonton
Lloydmins ter
r
R
CAMROSE
JASPER
Ba
e
iv
ttle
STETTLER
LIMESTONE
PROVOST
(new site at South Esk)
• 3 Plains Area Sites
(new site in Swan Hills)
Red Deer
Red
SKOKI MOUNTAIN
De
Calgary
BANFF
• 13 Mountain Sites
er
River
SUNSHINE VILLAGE
USES
• Snow-on-ground
LITTLE ELBOW
MT. ODLUM III
THREE ISLE LAKE
LOST CREEK
SOUTH RACE HORSE
Medic ine Hat
• Melt rates
Lethbridge
GARDINER HEADWATERS
River
AKAMINA
Milk
U. S. A.
FLATTOP
MANY GLACIER
• Snow / Rain indicators
How can UNSTABLE help?
Variety of Flood Conditions
Snowmelt
Plains - March - April
• Only smaller streams affected (Paddle, Battle, Vermilion, etc)
• Ice jams
Mountains - May - July
• No flooding of major rivers by mountain snowmelt alone
Rainfall
• Affects all rivers in Alberta
• Flooding along major rivers is caused by heavy rainfall or heavy rainfall
during mountain snowmelt
Oldman River at Lethbridge – June 2005
Contributions to UNSTABLE
• Current meteorological sites in area
• Proposed new sites for 2008 (approx. location)
Opportunities
• Alberta Environment will share all data in area
• Opportunity to put additional sensors at existing locations if
required
• Very interested in results of study
• AENV is heavily reliant on accurate weather forecasting
for their functions
Questions?
Near Barrhead – March 2007