Southern Alberta’s irrigation canals, ditches and pipelines make up the circulatory system that feeds a diversified agricultural industry. It adds $3.6 billion annually to the provincial economy, according to a study commissioned by the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association.
Some $10 million will be provided this year to irrigation districts by the province as part of the Irrigation Rehabilitation Program (IRP) that has been in place since 1969. Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen made the rounds last week to announce the grants.
Through the IRP, the government provides 75 percent of irrigation rehabilitation funding and districts contribute the other 25 percent.
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St. Mary River Irrigation District, which has the highest number of irrigated acres among Alberta’s 13 irrigation districts, will receive $2.6 million in grants through the program this year. The Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District will receive $1.1 million and the United Irrigation District will receive $262,000.
The Eastern Irrigation District was also the recent recipient of project funds, those monies coming through the federal Emergency Preparedness Program, part of the federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The EID will use up to $100,000 for a dam safety review.
George Lohues, chair of the SMRID board of directors, said the IRP money will be used primarily on projects to replace open canals with pipelines, a process the district has been working on for years.
“What that does for us is, once you put pipe in the ground, you eliminate the seepage and the evaporation losses that you’d have in an open canal and so it’s just efficiency.
“We’re growing more food with less water, is what that IRP money allows us to do.”
The Lethbridge Northern district has a similar focus on conversion of open ditches to pipelines, as well as lining some unlined canals.
Lethbridge County chief administrative officer Ann Mitchell welcomed announcement of the IRP funds.
“The Irrigation Rehabilitation Program grants announced today will ensure that the area’s irrigation infrastructure can keep up with demand and our producers can continue to provide the high-quality products we are known for in southern Alberta,” she said in an Aug. 5 news release.
Conversion of canals to pipelines is also planned in the United Irrigation District, one of the smaller districts among Alberta’s 13.
The irrigation system across the south creates about 56,000 full-time jobs and contributes an estimated $2.4 billion in labour income annually, according to provincial figures. The system includes 42 reservoirs and 7,600 kilometres of canals and pipelines. They carry about two billion cubic metres of water each year for irrigation and municipal use.
It has been a successful irrigation year for most of southern Alberta, given good water supply in reservoirs combined with timely rains in June and early July.
In the SMRID, Lohues said the hot, dry stretch of weather in late July and early August had irrigation systems going full bore.
“We started out with somewhat of a cautious allocation but then allowed a full 18-inch allocation after it became apparent that we had a lot of water, better than we’ve had for years.
