The Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas has removed the requirement for water license transfers to retain 10% of the license to increase water availability and promote efficiency.
On April 4, 2025, the Government of Alberta announced the removal of the 10% holdback on most water license transfers. Administered by Environment and Protected Areas, this new policy aims to increase water availability, alleviate water demand by increasing supply, and promote efficiency in the water license and transfer system.
The new policy was applied to 256 out of 407 license transfers undertaken in the South Saskatchewan and Battle River basins since January 2025.
It is unclear to RMA at this time what criteria will be taken to determine whether holdbacks are applied to future license transfers as the guides specific to the relevant river basins are currently unavailable. However, existing legislation and policy suggest that holdback considerations should be subject to Water Conservation Objectives which vary by region.
This new policy has the potential for considerable benefits, especially in the southern Alberta river basins that routinely deal with water availability issues. Increasing water supply in a measured and considerate manner will help support water availability in key regions, a need that has been regularly identified by southern rural municipalities.
However, this new policy could also present some risks to water conservation, particularly if decision-making criteria isn’t transparent enough and conducted with adequate municipal consultation. Resolution 7-24F highlights concerns around freshwater use for industry licensees while 8-25S highlights concerns around water availability, conservation, and proper public consultation.
The announcement states that requests to implement this new policy were provided by stakeholders involved in the recent water engagement process. However, the results of this engagement are still under review and it is unclear if they will be made public. Without seeing the feedback that supposedly informed this new policy, it’s difficult for RMA to assess how the decision aligns with stakeholder input.
RMA will monitor the implementation of this new policy and continue looking for updates on its implementation to ensure that changes are in alignment with the needs of our members.
Bezawit Lemma
Policy & Research Analyst
825.319.2280
bezawit@rmalberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@rmalberta.com