MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – As another Alberta drought threatens to blight
this growing season, contingency plans are in place to manage water
sharing, improve crop insurance and extend farm water-pumping plans.
“It has never been this dry for this period of time for the last 100
years,” said Lloyd Andruchow of Alberta Agriculture.
Last fall, 90 percent of the province reported inadequate soil moisture
reserves.
Armed with that knowledge and weary of ad hoc payments to rescue
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farmers plagued by weather disasters, the province has ordered a
permanent drought management plan.
Since 1984 the province has spent $1.4 billion on ad hoc weather
related payments to Alberta farmers.
“We were directed to work with other departments to develop a more
consistent approach to managing drought conditions,” said Andruchow.
“We can no longer afford the ad hoc responses or the criticism over the
equity of our programs from one drought area to another,” he told the
Alberta branch of the Canadian Water Resources Association meeting in
Medicine Hat.
While no one can make it rain to refill the dugouts, make the pastures
grow or germinate the crops, there are various aid programs in place to
mitigate some of the problems associated with multi-year drought.
Low interest loans and acreage disaster payments are also in the cards.
The province is revising crop insurance wherever possible, including
broader pasture coverage.
More real time weather stations have been installed around the province
to provide hourly reports on temperature, precipitation, humidity and
wind.
The farm water program was extended to Nov. 30, 2002. This program
provides equipment and funding for water wells, dugouts and pipeline
projects.
The province also wants a detailed inventory of water sources,
livestock water supplies, soil moisture reserves and irrigation water
supplies. It wants to establish a reliable drought index where dryness
is rated from moderate to extreme so specific areas may be monitored
more closely. This system is already in place in the United States.
Alberta Environment is also developing a long-term water strategy to
address sharing, conservation and future needs.
The environment minister has invited 80 people to work through public
submissions compiled from more than 7,000 submissions this spring.
The strategy is due for release in October so it may be included in the
next provincial budget.
