Actor: An individual or group with a vested interest in a given topic or controversy, such as farmers, retailers, consumers, veterinarians, animal advocacy groups, and policymakers.
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Agricultural Sector: The part of Alberta’s economy that produces, processes, and distributes food and agricultural products. [55]
 
Agricultural Stakeholder: A person with a vested interest or concern in a given agricultural topic or controversy.

Controversy: A situation in which actors disagree. A dynamic, 'hot,' and contested issue that cannot be resolved solely through expert opinions. [1]
 
Climate Change: “A long-term shift in the average weather conditions of a region.” [56] 
 
Climate Change Models: The use of mathematical equations to predict future climate patterns based on historic and present-day environmental data. Often made using computer simulations. 

Drought: “A shortage of precipitation over an extended period, usually a season or more, resulting in insufficient water availability that adversely impacts vegetation, animals and people." [57]
 
Efficiency: The pursuit of a product while minimizing the amount of resources used.
 
Environmental Flows: A standard of water quality and quantity to maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
 
Evapotranspiration: The combined processes of evaporation and transpiration.
Evaporation = water loss from land surfaces like soil and water bodies. Transpiration = water loss from plants.
 
Food Security: The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
 
GDP: Gross Domestic Product. A measurement of total market value of a good or service.
 
Irrigation: The diversion of water from rivers and streams onto cultivated land.
 
Irrigation Infrastructure: The structures used to transport the diverted water to the cultivated land. Includes canals, pipelines, reservoirs, dams, return flow channels, etc.
 
Precipitation: Snow, sleet, hailstones and/or rainfall.
 
Resilience: The capacity of people or things to recover quickly after difficulties, such as a drought.
 
Seepage: The slow leak of water from one space to another. E.g. a water leak in a cracked underground pipe into the surrounding soil.
 
SSRB: South Saskatchewan River Basin, located in the Southern half of Alberta and stretching from the Rocky Mountains through to the Saskatchewan border. 
 
SMID: St. Mary River Irrigation District, located between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
 
Sustainability: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [58]
 
Water Allocation: The process of water distribution to water license holders.
 
Water Governance: “The political, social, economic, and administrative systems that influence water’s use and management” [5]
 
Water License: Determines how much water the license holder is entitled to, as well as where in the allocation priority line they are.
 
Water Scarcity: Circumstances in which water demand exceeds the total available water supply. 
 
Water Security: The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of clean water.