In the middle of an Alberta mountain playground, adjacent to a popular ski resort, there91裸聊视频檚 a well sunk into the bedrock that has John Pomeroy worried.

The Marmot Creek well in Kananaskis Country has been there for generations, says the University of Saskatchewan water scientist. It91裸聊视频檚 one of the few groundwater monitoring wells that Alberta has in the mountains. Away from any human influence, it91裸聊视频檚 a good indicator of what91裸聊视频檚 actually happening.

91裸聊视频淭he lowest water levels are all in the last seven years and the levels are much lower now than they were in the 91裸聊视频�70s and 91裸聊视频�80s,91裸聊视频� Pomeroy said.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檒l be a climate signal that we91裸聊视频檙e seeing.91裸聊视频�

As predicted by climate change models, drought is desiccating the Prairies, especially southern Alberta. The province has already warned municipalities to plan for another dry summer, is preparing help for farmers and aims to mobilize firefighting teams early.

But those measures address surface water. About 600,000 Albertans depend on groundwater, and scientists and rural officials say not enough is known about the effects years of drought have had on the unseen flows beneath our feet.

91裸聊视频淲e have to make sure we91裸聊视频檙e managing groundwater and surface water as a common resource,91裸聊视频� said Pomeroy. 91裸聊视频淚f we deplete one, we91裸聊视频檙e depleting the other.91裸聊视频�

So far, the signals are mixed. Alberta maintains a network of more than 200 monitoring wells across the province and many show water levels that are stable or even increasing.

But many are not.

Masaki Hayashi, a University of Calgary hydrologist, pointed to wells in Rocky View County outside Calgary, home to 40,000 people.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been another year of drought,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淣ow these wells are hitting all-time lows.91裸聊视频�

Long-term trends are ambiguous, he said. Precipitation cycles between wet years and dry.

But trends are leaning toward the latter. Four dry years, 2015-18, were followed by a couple of wet ones. Precipitation data at the Calgary airport shows the last three have been dry again.

Creeks, rivers and lakes are all connected and what seeps up must first soak down.

91裸聊视频淯nless you have this recharge from time to time, (levels) are going to keep going down,91裸聊视频� Hayashi said.

Paul McLauchlin, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta and an environmental scientist, said his members are increasingly concerned about the impact dry year after dry year is having on their water.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a critically important resource that we do not know much about,91裸聊视频� McLauchlin said.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e in a 50-year drought, subsurface. Even if we get Snowmageddon, it is not recharging the deficit that we91裸聊视频檙e going to see.91裸聊视频�

Some wells in his area near Ponoka have already dried up, he said.

McLauchlin said Alberta does a good job monitoring the state of groundwater, but falls down when it comes to understanding the resource.

91裸聊视频淒o we have enough understanding of that surface connect? Water could take 20 years to make it to surface from ground or it could take 1,000 years, depending on the area,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淲e just don91裸聊视频檛 have the data to show that.91裸聊视频�

Alberta Environment spokesman Tom McMillan said the province takes groundwater concerns seriously.

91裸聊视频淒ue to drought conditions, Alberta is increasing groundwater monitoring to help ensure reliable access to safe drinking water in rural communities,91裸聊视频� he said in an email. 91裸聊视频淲e will be downloading increased data this spring to better track water levels and adding near real-time groundwater level monitoring equipment to more wells throughout the province.91裸聊视频�

Well owners are encouraged to monitor water levels, said McMillan. The province is increasing the number of workshops available to help people with that work.

91裸聊视频淲hen it comes to water, we91裸聊视频檙e all in it together,91裸聊视频� he said.

Pomeroy is reluctant to to generalize about what91裸聊视频檚 happening to Alberta aquifers.

Some are at their lowest levels ever, some are increasing. The lag time between when the water falls and when it seeps into pore space in the rocks make predictions harder.

But trends are emerging, he said.

91裸聊视频淚n parts of Alberta where there91裸聊视频檚 been drought for four or five years, we91裸聊视频檙e seeing groundwater levels drop quite substantially.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 something we need to keep an eye on.91裸聊视频�

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Bob Weber, The Canadian Press