Commercial oil sands mining operators have been withdrawing water from the Athabasca River since bitumen processing began.  Overtime, mines have expanded their production and more operators have developed mines, which has resulted in an increase in the overall amount of water being withdrawn from the Athabasca River.  Strict limits are placed on the oil sands industry's water withdrawal through Alberta’s Water Management Framework for the Lower Athabasca River, which ensures that the river’s ecological integrity is protected during oil sands development. The framework specifies a weekly cap of allowable water withdrawals of oil sands operators, based on the natural and seasonal changes in river flow.