Athabasca River Conditions and Use

The Lower Athabasca Region Surface Water Quantity Management Framework for the Lower Athabasca River establishes weekly management triggers and water withdrawal limits to enable proactive management of mineable oil sands water use from the Athabasca River. Weekly management triggers and associated water withdrawal limits reflect seasonal variability and become more restrictive as flows in the river decrease, in order to minimize impacts on the aquatic ecosystem.

Weekly flows of the Athabasca River measured at the McMurray station (Water Survey of Canada gauge 07DA001 “Athabasca River below McMurray”) are compared to the management triggers to determine the applicable limits on how much water is available for cumulative mineable oil sands water withdrawal for each week of the year. The weekly management triggers and water withdrawal limits are divided into five seasons: Mid Winter, Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer/Fall, and Early Winter. Each of these seasons has distinct weekly flow triggers and corresponding cumulative water withdrawal limits (Table 1).
Additional information on lower Athabasca River weekly flows is available here

Water Use

Actual water withdrawn by oil sands mines in 2019 was less than one per cent of the average annual flow - approximately 153 million cubic metres, or an average of 4.9 cubic metres per second.

In 2019, weekly water withdrawal by mineable and in situ oil sands producers from the Athabasca River ranged from 0.20% to 2.73% of the measured flow during the early 2019 winter period (weeks 1-15) and from 0.66% to 1.71% of the reported flow during the late 2019 winter period (weeks 44- 52). During the open water period (weeks 16-43), weekly water withdrawals ranged from 0.21% to 0.80% of measured flow. Reporting on the Lower Athabasca Region Surface Water Quantity Management Framework for the Lower Athabasca River is available here

Current week (Week #13)

Flow estimate: 116 cubic metres per second

Current total water withdrawal allowed: 9 cubic metres per second

View a graph of the current year 2024.

Real-time flow estimates during the open-water season can be found on the Alberta’s River Basins website.
  • Graph of daily flow estimates at Athabasca River below McMurray

Table 1. Weekly Flow Triggers and Cumulative Water Use Limits on the Lower Athabasca River for Mineable Oil Sands Operations

Mid Winter (January 1 to April 15)

Weeks 1-15

Weekly Flow

Triggers (m3/s)

Cumulative Water

Withdrawal Limits

more than 270 m3/s

16 m3/s

150 to 270 m3/s

6% of Weekly Flow

91.6 to 150 m3/s

9 m3/s

87 to 91.6 m3/s

Weekly Flow

minus 82.6 m3/s

less than 87 m3/s

4.4. m3/s

Early Spring (April 16 to May 6)

Weeks 16-18

Weekly Flow

Triggers (m3/s)

Cumulative Water

Withdrawal Limits

more than 98.6 m3/s

16 m3/s

87 to 98.6 m3/s

Weekly Flow

minus 82.6 m3/s

less than 87 m3/s

4.4. m3/s


Late Spring (May 7 to June 10)

Weeks 19-23

Weekly Flow

Triggers (m3/s)

Cumulative Water

Withdrawal Limits

more than 102.6 m3/s

20 m3/s

87 to 102.6 m3/s

Weekly Flow

minus 82.6 m3/s

less than 87 m3/s

4.4. m3/s


Summer/Fall (June 11 to October 28)

Weeks 24-43

Weekly Flow

Triggers (m3/s)

Cumulative Water

Withdrawal Limits

more than 111.6 m3/s

29 m3/s*

87 to 111.6 m3/s

Weekly Flow

minus 82.6 m3/s

less than 87 m3/s

4.4. m3/s


Early Winter (October 29 to December 31)

Weeks 44-52

Weekly Flow

Triggers (m3/s)

Cumulative Water

Withdrawal Limits

more than 200 m3/s

16 m3/s

150 to 200 m3/s

8% of Weekly Flow

94.6 to 150 m3/s

12 m3/s

87 to 94.6 m3/s

Weekly Flow

minus 82.6 m3/s

less than 87 m3/s

4.4. m3/s

*Cumulatively, licensed pumping capacity for mineable oil sands projects may eventually exceed this limit. Water sharing agreements will identify how water management decisions will help ensure maintenance of the limit.