It may come as a surprise that there are significant flow variations on the North Saskatchewan River on a daily basis. They aren’t tides, but there are similarities. Water is released from the Bighorn and Brazeau Dams for electricity production, and the amounts released vary depending on daily electrical demand.
This week (nearing the end of a heat wave) saw flow rates vary from about 150 cubic meters per second to about 280 cubic meters per second. That’s almost twice the amount of water – and the ebbs and flows occur daily!
Another interesting chart that can be displayed on rivers.alberta.ca is the annual flow rate. The following chart shows the normal flow range for the year (gray) and the daily average flows so far this year in blue. Not surprisingly, the flow rates are at the low end or below normal for June and July.
Anglers can use the data on the rivers website to check for safe flow conditions before venturing out on a trip.