Alberta’s environment minister says a provincial water strategy is crucial to sustain supplies for the 21st century.
The province expects to release its “water for life” program late this spring to address the growing demands on a limited supply, Lorne Taylor told the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association’s annual meeting in Calgary Jan. 23.
He said water is necessary for economic development and industry may suffer if supplies are poor.
“We’ve had more people move into the province in sheer numbers than any other province,” he said. “At the same time we have this rapid growth, we’ve got basins that are nearing their limit of allocation.
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“It is not easy to predict water supply in the longer term. It is much easier for us to predict demand.”
He said the province’s strategy is designed to guard the quantity and quality of water as well as protect aquatic life and the environment.
The price of water was discussed as a part of the strategy, but the province prefers to promote a conservation agenda instead.
Conservation could be difficult for Alberta this year because of below-average precipitation in the mountains and across most of the province.
The provincial government has already set a moratorium on further licences issued for the St. Mary’s, Belly and Waterton Rivers in southwestern Alberta because they are fully allocated.
“I would suggest to you that we will put more moratoriums on in the near future.”
Taylor urged the irrigators to strive for more efficient ways to use water.
“I know some districts and some basins are running at 50-55 percent efficiency,” he said.
He suggested the province needs to expand its irrigated acres. This is possible through the efficient use of water and more storage reservoirs to capture Alberta’s full share of river water before it leaves the province.
