The federal government has set a national target to reduce absolute levels of greenhouse gas emissions arising from fertilizer applications by 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030. In December 2020, Canada announced its Strengthened Climate Plan, “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy.” This paper listed a number of industries including agriculture that were […] Read more
Irrigation
Loss of access to Milk River may come early this year
Watershed council says another dry year in southern Alberta would likely trigger treaty with United States by June or July
An early spring runoff, lack of water storage capacity and the nature of an international treaty governing the Milk River may see the taps turned off early for irrigators in southern Alberta. “It’s going to be a tricky situation again,” said Tim Romanow, executive director of the Milk River Watershed Council. A more than century […] Read more
Origins of water dispute in southern Alberta remain vague
Environment minister sheds some light on why First Nations blocked access to irrigation water but details are still scarce
It’s been 20 years since the signing of an agreement to settle longstanding disputes surrounding the creation of the Oldman Dam and its impacts on the Piikani Nation. That settlement agreement is still in effect despite last month’s delay in allowing water to flow from the headworks of the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID), according […] Read more
Mounting problems pose threat to global food security
In a year when everything needs to go right to rebuild global food stocks, too many things are going wrong. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is only one of a long list of factors that threaten the crops of 2022 around the world. The La Nina that we hoped would be dissipating by now has revived […] Read more
Water flows again in Alta. irrigation district
Agreement between province and First Nation restores access to water, but questions raised about the lack of details
Water is flowing again down the canals of the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) after an agreement last month made between the Alberta government and Piikani Nation to solve a dispute that cut off access to the headworks. The cause of the dispute remains unknown, but it resulted in the inability of LNID to access […] Read more
Alta. ag minister upbeat about industry’s future
Nate Horner says the agricultural sector continues to face many challenges, but he is optimistic they can be overcome
It’s been a difficult 12 months for Alberta’s agriculture sector with supply chain problems, protests against health restrictions that closed the main international border crossing and a widespread drought that parched farmland. So far, 2022 isn’t shaping up much better with beef trade restrictions stemming from an atypical case of BSE, lingering dry conditions, a […] Read more
Water stops flowing to southern Alta. irrigation district
Blocked access appears to be related to dispute with neighbouring Piikani Nation, but district says it remains in the dark
An apparent dispute involving the Piikani Nation is resulting in no water flowing through the canals of the neighbouring Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District. The cause of the dispute remains a mystery to the chair of the southern Alberta irrigation district, which draws its resources from the Oldman dam. “We’re just waiting,” said LNID chair John […] Read more
Sask. budget allocates $25 million for irrigation projects
It’s been almost two years since Saskatchewan announced its plans for a $4-billion project at Lake Diefenbaker to double irrigation capacity but it is still in the pre-design phase. SaskBuilds minister Jim Reiter said $25 million allocated for irrigation in the recent provincial budget includes $23 million specifically for that project. The other money is […] Read more
Desert agriculture yields interesting observations
It’s the end of March and many of the durum crops are starting to head out. Where am I? I’ve heard about desert durum, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. As I write this, I’m in Yuma, Arizona. The durum, often used as a rotational crop after growing vegetables, looks excellent. Of […] Read more
Irrigation advocates hopeful about Alta. project
Nearly $1 billion that governments have committed to irrigation expansion is expected to add another 200,000 acres
Nearly $1 billion in investment for irrigation expansion across southern Alberta will be the largest in more than 100 years in the province, according to a relatively new consortium of the province’s irrigation districts. Richard Phillips, Irrigating Alberta chair, outlined the size and scope of the program that will see the more than 1.75 million […] Read more
