Drought remains a constant threat across the Prairies, even with extensive irrigation in Alberta, says the president of the Regina-based Organization of Western Economic Co-operation.
“In Saskatchewan alone, the last six droughts cost $6.7 billion in taxpayers’ assistance,” Graham Parsons said during the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association meeting in Calgary Feb. 28.
The cost is much higher when the entire Prairies is taken into account, he added.
“It is cheaper to drought proof.”
He said developing irrigation and building more water storage systems are vital for prairie survival as drought increases in intensity and frequency.
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Bringing water to an area increases agricultural production, improves wildlife habitat, delivers water for domestic use and encourages more economic activity.
However, Parson said these projects often take 25 years from conception to completion before a drop of water is captured.
In Saskatchewan, the Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker were part of a long-term vision to bring water and prosperity. Parsons blamed the Saskatchewan government for allowing that vision to languish. Canals were dug but were left empty and eventually became overgrown with weeds.
“They created interesting archeological features for future generations,” he said.
Saskatchewan needs a strong agency such as Alberta’s irrigation association to initiate water development and secure long-term funding, he added.
Alberta irrigators have a long-term funding agreement with the province for expanding, modernizing and maintaining a system of more than 1.4 million acres in the south.
Brent Patterson of the Alberta Agriculture irrigation branch agreed more storage and more diligent conservation are needed to better share water within the South Saskatchewan River basin.
Allocation agreements require 50 percent of the water flowing out of the Alberta Rockies to go to Saskatchewan, but 75 percent of the water is now flowing east.
Extra water storage will not be used for irrigation but for environmental, industrial and domestic needs. Irrigation is Alberta’s largest consumer of water but is unlikely to receive a greater share in the future.
Patterson said improved conservation of a limited water supply in a growing economy is already under way.
“We use 30 percent less water today to grow a crop than we did 25 years ago,” he told about 250 irrigators.
Farmers could achieve another four to five percent efficient water use with better technology.
“Clearly we need to have some imagination to develop new technologies and commitment that will significantly increase crop yields,” he said.
New plant breeding in high-value crops could expand potato production to 500,000 acres in a four year rotation. He said it is possible to achieve 190 bushels per acre of barley and sustained yields of 140 bu. in southern Alberta with new varieties, irrigation and proper fertilizer applications.
Farmers could intensify by growing three crops every two years to double productivity. Some are already doing this with silage crops. He said the greenhouse industry is an example of water efficiency. Alberta has 250 acres under glass producing $100 million worth of production annually.
