Tender: Development of Environmental Operating Procedures and Decision‑Support Tool for Oldman River Basin Water Management – Alberta

About

A supplier is sought to develop environmental operating procedures and an environmental decision‑making support tool to integrate instream flow needs and ecosystem services into water management operations in the Oldman River Basin, Alberta. The three‑year project will formalize processes now delivered inconsistently, identify and quantify ecosystem services (including fish/fish habitat, riparian forests, irrigation, industrial and municipal uses, recreation and social benefits), develop environmental, hydrological and operational sub‑models (water supply/hydrology, climate and water temperature, seasonal fish habitat, and socioeconomic water management rules), convert model outputs into specific water management actions, and test and refine the tool against audited flow years before delivery and final reporting. The work responds to long‑term flow alterations across the Oldman River, Waterton River, Belly River, St. Mary River, Willow Creek and Little Bow River, and builds on instream flow need approaches and past decision‑support examples to improve environmental outcomes without compromising other water management objectives.