Drought has been on the minds of many southern Albertans recently, yet memories of floods are also not far off as many communities break ground on a project to mitigate damages from excessive water. The Horsefly Emergency Spillway is one of seven projects planned along the South Saskatchewan River basin that will attempt to keep […] Read more
Irrigation
Skateboard wheel next innovation
How might revolutionary skateboard wheels relate to farm tires? If Shark Wheel has its way, skateboard tire technology will grow to become big tractor tires. Machine power converts to productivity at the contact point where rubber meets soil. Technology of that crucial contact point has changed little in the three decades since rubber tracks made […] Read more
Wheel design creates a DNA-shaped travel path
Throughout history, we’ve seen famous inventors invent things for which there was no purpose or need. It’s happened again with the Swift wheel, according to its inventor David Patrick. “We did not set out to re-invent the wheel. This thing was an accident. We sat on it for years after we built it. We’d show […] Read more
Budget includes feasibility study for new dam
Many of the agricultural initiatives listed in the Alberta government’s new budget were previously made commitments
Alberta’s latest budget spread out the good fortune generated by higher oil and gas prices, which has generated $70 billion in revenue and a $2.4 billion budget surplus and has tackled the provincial debt. Finance Minister Travis Toews said job growth is up, opportunities are growing and programs support Albertans dealing with affordability issues. Toews […] Read more
SARM to focus on health, irrigation
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is highlighting key issues ahead of its annual convention next week in Saskatoon. President Ray Orb said the organization wants to draw attention to the main concerns before delegates hear from policymakers. Health-care facilities and staffing top the list. Orb said the provincial government has to keep rural centres […] Read more
U.S. dam project to boost southern Alberta river flow
A US$91.3-million project to replace the aging St. Mary Diversion Dam is expected to start construction in 2024, strengthening a system relied on by farmers and communities for water in Alberta and Montana, said an official. Few improvements have been made to the American-controlled dam since it was built circa the First World War, said […] Read more
Work continues on dream to irrigate eastern Alberta
The fact that many proposals and studies have failed over the decades to bring irrigation to a region of east-central Alberta depopulated by drought about a century ago isn’t deterring Jordon Christianson. “How confident am I that this will happen?” said Christianson, who is chair of the Special Areas Board. “Well, I think that I’m […] Read more
Province plans to modernize Alta. irrigation legislation
The Alberta government says proposed amendments to the Irrigation Districts Act are on the legislative slate for the spring session. “If all goes well, they will modernize the legislation, cut red tape, improve administrative processes, expand the Irrigation Council and improve the ability to stop water delivery when needed,” Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Nate Horner […] Read more
Lake Diefenbaker operations vary with snowpack, rainfall
Low water levels in Lake Diefenbaker at times in the last couple of years have drawn concern from lake users. Some posted photographs on social media of exposed boat launches and rocky beaches. The water was sometimes too low for the Riverhurst Ferry to operate. But this doesn’t mean the $4-billion project to expand irrigation […] Read more
Water agency looks at irrigation allocations
Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency is working toward making its water allocation process more modern and transparent. Aaron Schweitzer, acting director of irrigation development, said practices and legislation have changed from when some of the older allocations were made. “When we’re dealing with allocations sometimes the playing field is not exactly the same,” he said during […] Read more
