City of Lethbridge continues to target 20% water reduction by 2030 [Video]

As the winter snow melts into spring, the topic of water conservation is once again beginning to flow.

It comes as World Wildlife Day shines an additional spotlight on the issue that has consumed southern Alberta for over 12 months.

“People aren’t the only ones who rely on the river and rely on our water supplies,” said Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge.

“Just using fish as an example — a lot of our native fish species rely on water that’s a certain temperature, like colder temperatures. The less water we have, the warmer the water gets.”

Lethbridge gets its water from the Oldman River, which originates in the Rocky Mountains and flows east across the Prairies to merge with the Bow River and become the South Saskatchewan River.

Multiple years of below-normal precipitation have resulted in drought conditions across southern Alberta and while this season’s snowfall is encouraging, the city said reservoir levels remain …