Environmentalists forecast water crisis : oilsands producers must address H20 issue

A new scientific study has suggested that the oil sands industry in Alberta must reduce its current water usage to avoid a major water crisis. Research analyzing summer river flows over time in major rivers in the region has found that summer flows have dwindled between 20 to 84 per cent over the last 90 years. Although the Athabasca River has only had summer flows dropping by 30 per cent since the 1970s, oil sands operations in the area have yet to come into full force. New research examining trends in climate change have observed increases in temperatures in the area of between 1 and 4 degrees C, mainly occurring the winter months and impacting on snow-pack. Most large glaciers in the headwaters that feed the Athabasca River have dwindled by 25 per cent. Large parts of the province are experiencing water shortages, and prosperity could be restricted by the high cost of dams and diversions. 3 figs