An irrigation project that aims to bring more than 100,000 acres under irrigation in Alberta’s Special Areas and the Municipality of Acadia received a financial shot in the arm recently with a funding announcement to push the project ahead.
The provincial government, MD of Acadia, Special Areas and the Canada Infrastructure Bank will collectively invest an estimated $7 million for preliminary engineering for the project while analyzing environmental and regulatory considerations necessary to see it move ahead.
The current estimated cost for the project is $1.3 billion, said Jordon Christianson, chair of the Special Areas board.
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The project, which would draw water from the Red Deer River, is an exciting development for the region, he added.
“We’re a dryland farming region so, for us, we think this project would be transformational in terms of primary ag production with that reliable source of water — stabilizing ag production, stabilizing real communities in this part of the province,” he said.
The project would be centred around the confluence of the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers just west of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
The irrigation areas are currently proposed as four blocks: two smaller ones near Buffalo and a large block south and east of Bindloss located south of the Red Deer River. The fourth block is proposed for north of the river in the MD of Acadia.
Christianson said preliminary testing of soil in those regions indicates capability with irrigation, “but, certainly in this next phase we’d like to refine that concept.”
The project is also being seen as a potential game changing economic development opportunity that could draw more people to the region.
Construction of the project is estimated to bring in thousands of temporary and permanent jobs to the area while generating significant dollars to Alberta’s economy.
“We think it’s transformational regionally from an economic development perspective, bringing in new investment to the region and increasing, possibly, value-added ag on the processing side of it,” said Christianson.
“We think that’s a big part of the selling feature.”
While currently the South Saskatchewan River has a moratorium on issuing new water licences, the Red Deer River doesn’t have such restrictions, although it’s expected to take several years to acquire the necessary allocations, which aren’t guaranteed.
Other risks identified in the Phase 1 Feasibility Study completed this year include high costs for on-farm infrastructure, opposition from stakeholder groups and extensive regulatory requirements that may be required from multiple levels of government.
However, Christianson said there is plenty of support at the provincial level for expanding irrigation in Alberta in general and a local groundswell of interest from local farmers.
“There is a lot of excitement and support behind this. Generally, producers really want to see this project move forward and we’re just moving forward with the momentum and excitement behind it right now,” he said.
The Acadia irrigation project is the latest in a series of activities in southern Alberta with the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, provincial government and irrigation districts investing nearly $1 billion for expansion.
