MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Irrigators in southwestern Saskatchewan hope the new year brings resolution to an ongoing dispute over the transfer of federal irrigation works.
Agriculture Canada officials were supposed to reply to the 250 irrigators’ most recent proposal by Dec. 31.
Details of the proposal were unavailable as negotiations continued. Due to holiday season deadlines, it was unknown whether the federal government replied by Dec. 31.
An Agriculture Canada official said Dec. 29 the proposal was under review, and stakeholders would be notified as soon as a decision was made.
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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
However, the irrigators in the six flood projects are frustrated that their attempts to resolve the situation have been unsuccessful, considering the federal government started the process in the first place.
Ottawa advised irrigators in the Consul/Nashlyn Irrigation District, Eastend Irrigation Corp., Lower Frenchman Water Users Group, Maple Creek Irrigation Project Corp., Rush Lake Irrigation District and West Flat Irrigation Corp. in 2006 that it would divest its ownership and operation of the projects by 2017.
At that time, the government said the works would have to be transferred to the users or shut down.
In 2012, the irrigators presented proposals regarding the transfer, including requests for financial compensation to take over the aging works.
It took two years for the federal government to respond.
“That response initially was not very favourable to anything the projects wanted, but in some visits they had with federal people subsequent to that, there seemed to be maybe a bit of change on the federal government’s thoughts,” said Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association chair Roger Pederson.
SIPA is not directly involved in the talks but supports viable irrigation in the region, he said.
Federal officials told the irrigators in June that the government would not pay compensation but, according to the irrigators’ newsletter, would consider flexibility in the timing of divestiture, “and that AAFC (Agriculture Canada) recognizes its responsibilities for the cost and effort associated with the eventual decommissioning of the infrastructure.”
Several more meetings have been held, and the irrigators presented their most recent proposal in late November.
“The (irrigation groups) are very dissatisfied with the decision to not pay compensation,” they said in a December update on their website.
“It is being emphasized that the decision has seriously devalued their land and will negatively affect their ability to acquire hay for the cattle operations, as well as the economic impact it will have on the local communities and southwest Saskatchewan as a whole.”
Pederson said those are serious concerns, particularly considering where the projects are located.
“Why are we expending all this time and energy about shutting something down when it’s the most drought-prone area of the province?” Pederson said.
Flood irrigation is not the most efficient form of watering, but he said it was the available technology when the works were established.
