Any expansion of irrigated areas in Saskatchewan will first require
improvements in infrastructure, says Leo Tomasiewicz, vice-president of
the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association.
Tomasiewicz supports the Action Committee on the Rural Economy’s call
for expansion of the irrigation system and opening new areas for
diversified agricultural growth. It will be included in the 150
recommendations that ACRE will submit to government this month, all
aimed at rural revitalization.
“We don’t want the government to get into the irrigation business, but
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to fund the infrastructure,” Tomasiewicz said, citing need for
improvements in communication, power and water supply.
He pointed to irrigation’s potential to stimulate the economy by
increasing cattle numbers, alfalfa and timothy processing, and feed
grain, table and seed potatoes acres.
“We have the water, but we only utilize three percent for domestic and
irrigation use.”
The irrigation association points to the potential to hook up 30,000
more acres in existing irrigation districts. That would mean a total of
two million acres could be under irrigation within a decade.
The association estimates it would cost about $20 million over 10 years
to make that happen.
At an ACRE public meeting in Melfort last month, the committee heard a
concern about forging ahead on irrigation projects without first
mapping aquifers in the province.
Tomasiewicz allayed that fear, saying irrigation does not pump from
aquifers but from surface water, extracting water from reservoirs fed
by creeks, rivers and dams.
