The Paskapoo Formation, a sedimentary rock unit comprised dominantly of shale and sandstone, it covers over 66,000 km2 of southwestern Alberta. Of the over 320,000 groundwater wells drilled in the Prairie Provinces, over 100,000 are in the Paskapoo Formation, making it the largest single source of groundwater in the Canadian Prairies. Of these Paskapoo wells, approximately 85% occur between Calgary and Red Deer, making it one of the most intensive groundwater use regions in the country.

Currently, this region is also showing some of the most rapid population growth in the country and concurrent rapid growth in groundwater usage. At the same time, the province has suffered from extreme drought conditions over the last four years, which has lead to the realization that most of the surface water supplies are fully allocated in southern Alberta.