For the last few years, residents became accustomed at looking to the river to see how high the water is. This year they are looking to see how low it can go.
    Currently, a walk along the Red Deer River reveals islands poking out and expanded banks. By the numbers, Jason Penner, public affairs officer for Alberta Environment and Parks, says the current flow is far below average.
    “(It)… appears to be approaching levels that have not been observed since data records that began in 1960. Historical average flow of the Red Deer River at Drumheller is about 76 cubic meter per second (m³/s) in May and 120 m³/s in June,” he says. “In 2015, the average flow recorded at Drumheller was about 29 m³/s in May and has been around 23 m³/s so far in June (first ten days).”
    Despite this, he says the recorded flow is still above the historical minimum flow recorded at Drumheller at this time of year. He says mountain and foothills runoff from the headwaters of the Red Deer River is virtually complete. This year the snow pack was also below average.
    “Based on the low snow pack and the very dry spring to date, the Water Supply Outlook issued by Environment and Parks is projecting “much below average” flow condition for June to September of 2015 based on current trends,” said Penner. “June can also be a time of major rainfall events, which would provide additional moisture and runoff to rivers; however, these cannot be predicted.”
    Some of the concerns with low water, natural or regulated, include stresses on fish, heating and loss of habitat.
    “There have been no reports to, or observations by, our regional fisheries staff related to the recent low flows in the Red Deer River,” he said.
    Operators at the Dickson Dam are in the process of making sure there is enough water to sustain the river through the rest of the season.  
    “At this time of year the upstream Dickson Dam (Glennifer Lake) will be operating to store the mountain runoff in order that water can be supplied more consistently later through the year in response to demands, as well as provide sustaining flows for environmental needs," he said. “In dry years like this one, the amount they need to store is balanced between saving enough for later use and enough water in the river downstream to meet minimum instream flows.”

HBO and National Geographic Entertainment are filming for the first time in Canada together, and they have chosen the Valley to do it in.
    Producers Brad Pitt of Plan B Entertainment and Edward Norton of Class 5 Films, and executive producer Tom Hanks of Playtone Productions are filming a six-part mini series. Other well-known names on the production include Gary Goetszman and Dede Gardner, Tim Kelly and Adam Leipzig.
    The story is of American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they lead their voyage up the Missouri River to the Rockies and down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean in 1803.
    Casey Affleck, will be starring as Lewis and Matthias Schoenaerts will be Clark.
    The production company has been casting in Southern Alberta the last couple of months and began production this month. They are in the Valley for two weeks filming.
    The six-part mini series is based on the 1997 non-fiction book Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen Ambrose.
    Norton co-wrote the adaptation with John Curran and Michelle Ashford. Curran is serving as director for all six episodes.
    The mini-series is scheduled to be released sometime in 2016.