How the Girl Guides came to the rescue when Cochrane needed water

Calgary’s bedroom communities like Cochrane and Okotoks have been seeking solutions to their water challenges over the past several years. Those are drawn into greater focus given recent urgent discussion over water infrastructure and supply management in the Calgary region.The town of Cochrane, 15 kilometres northwest of Calgary, is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Alberta.

"We began to realize that our water licence, the allocation we had, was going to be stressed by the amount of folks that we had joining our community," said Mike Derricott, chief administrative officer for Cochrane. It illustrates the importance of planning supply and distribution properly, said Tricia Stadnyk, a professor and Canada Research Chair in hydrologic modelling with the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering."Typically, water is a last piece of the puzzle for development, but it should be — needs to be, in Alberta — the first."

Consumptive licences refers to water use that reduces the overall water available for other uses, while non-consumptive licences refers to use that returns water to the source down the line — for instance, through treatment plants. "You tend to wake up old licences, rights that may have not really ever been used again had there been no value in them. We call them sleeper rights, or dozer rights," he said.

Cochrane’s main water source is the Bow River. In 2023, the community used 65 per cent of its existing water licences, but ongoing growth meant it was forced to secure future capacity. Standing along the Sheep River, the water source for the town of Okotoks, Alta., Mayor Tanya Thorn says the community is still in the midst of managing growth.

MacIntosh, who has worked on many water transfers in the Bow River basin, has facilitated deals for the community in the past. Scott Lamont, vice-president of Lamont Land, says there’s not a lot of water that the Town of Okotoks can allocate to new development right now.

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

RI Children’s Advocate Bob Chiaradio Is Traveling The State Calling On Districts To Ditch Their “Trans” PoliciesChiaradio: No matter how much a boy wants to be a girl, dress like a girl, thinks he's a girl, or acts like a girl, he will never be a girl.
Source: LegInsurrection - 🏆 3. / 95 Read more »

Island Olympic medallists Cochrane, Sharpe inducted into B.C. Sports Hall of FameCeremony held in Vancouver on Thursday night
Source: timescolonist - 🏆 15. / 75 Read more »

Hiking with Hounds program takes Cochrane foster dogs to the trailsDozens of foster dogs have been enjoying some of Alberta's most scenic walks thanks to a program from the Cochrane & Area Humane Society.
Source: CTVCalgary - 🏆 26. / 68 Read more »

Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane among latest inductees into Canadian Songwriters Hall of FameBlue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, who share songwriting duties in their country-rock act, will be honoured together while Quebec singer Diane Tell rounds out the names being recognized
Source: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Read more »

Sarah McLachlan and Tom Cochrane among Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inducteesSarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane and two members of Blue Rodeo are among the latest inductees into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Source: CTVNews - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of FameSarah McLachlan hosts the 2019 Juno Awards at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont., on March 17, 2019.
Source: CBC - 🏆 32. / 63 Read more »