Oil Sands Monitoring Program: Summary of 2018 Hydrologic Conditions in the Alberta Oil Sands Area

This annual report presents a summary of hydrometric data collected by the Water Survey of Canada (WSC) in the Alberta Oil Sands area in 2018. This report is the first of what will be an annual publication intended to provide the public with an understanding of the hydrologic conditions that were present in the Oil Sands area each year and how they compare with historical conditions. There were 48 hydrometric gauging stations operated by WSC in the Oil Sands area in 2018 (shown on the map provided in Appendix A). Conditions at four key stations are discussed in the main body of this report and are presented from upstream to downstream as follows: Athabasca River at Athabasca, Clearwater River above Christina River (a major tributary to the Athabasca River), Athabasca River below Fort McMurray, and Athabasca River at Embarras Airport. The local contributions from the western and eastern tributaries to the Athabasca River main stem are also discussed. A summary table of all active WSC hydrometric stations within the Oil Sands area in 2018 is provided in Appendix B, and annual hydrographs are provided for all active hydrometric stations in Appendix C.