LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – A new irrigation act will streamline the flow of water and business for the 13 irrigation districts in Alberta.
Irrigation is nearly a century old in this province and the role of the districts and the demands for water have changed.
The act was reviewed last year in public meetings and by an MLA committee. It is scheduled for the spring legislative agenda and regulations will be drafted after that.
The new act confirms irrigation districts as independent corporations responsible for managing water in the districts. It also allows them to get involved in businesses that bring in extra revenue for the farmer-controlled districts.
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Irrigators’ approval
Under the proposed act, districts wanting to start new activities beyond delivery of water to farmers require the approval of half of the irrigators owning half of the irrigated acres. This is to make sure the irrigators know the plans for future developments.
No ministerial approval is required for these activities and there will be no restrictions on where they take place.
“This was a big concern of some of the irrigation districts but the committee was quite adamant about the recommendation,” said Len Fullen, policy analyst for Alberta Agriculture. He outlined some of the changes in the act during the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association annual meeting.
An example of such a business venture is Irrican, controlled by the St. Mary’s River Irrigation and Raymond Irrigation Districts. It operates two small hydroelectricity developments that deliver electricity to the provincial grid.
Another venture is the Eastern Irrigation District’s deal with a building developer. The district receives the benefit from the sale of lakeshore land for homes while maintaining environmental controls of the area.
More power
The act gives the districts the power to set their own terms and conditions for water delivery to farmers. For example, if a district determines water is wasted by a user, it can stop water delivery on 24 hours notice, rather than seven days as before. No appeals are allowed but the irrigator can take civil action if water delivery is terminated without just cause.
Water quality and responsibility for natural drains are not mentioned in this act because the committee said it is best handled by the environmental protection act or the water act.
About 1.5 million acres are under irrigation of which 1.278 million acres come under the jurisdiction of the districts. The remaining acres are privately watered.
The South Saskatchewan Basin Water Allocation Regulations limit how much land can be irrigated to ensure there is enough water. Under these regulations, irrigation in Alberta could expand to 1.7 million acres, said Brian Colgen of the irrigation branch.
