Red Deer River Basin - Water Supply Forecasts

Natural runoff volumes for the March to September 2003 period are forecast to be much-below-average for the Red Deer River basin, ranging from 51 to 59 % of average (Table 5). Current forecasts are slightly (1 to 3%) lower than last month's forecasts due to much-below-normal precipitation upstream of Dickson Dam during February. However, twice the normal snowfall during February in the plains area between the Dickson Dam and Red Deer resulted in only a 1% decrease in forecasted volumes at Red Deer. The current forecasted volumes for the March to September 2003 period for the Red Deer River basin are slightly lower than the volumes recorded over the same time period last year but very similar to those recorded in 2001. Current forecasted volumes would rank 5th lowest in 84-years of record (1912-95) at both Red Deer and Dickson Dam.