Upgrades coming to Alberta's irrigation infrastructure as concerns about drought persist

As concerns about drought in Alberta continue, the provincial government is hoping upgrades to irrigation infrastructure will help irrigation districts and farmers do more with the dwindling water supply.

In a $19-million commitment to the Irrigation Rehabilitation Program, the province aims to help Alberta's 11 irrigation districts expand and modernize infrastructure to send water to farmers more efficiently. It's a $5.5-million increase from 2023.

In a news release, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson said upgrades will mean the province can use the same amount of water to irrigate even more land.

"Investing in our irrigation infrastructure now will help counter dry conditions, including drought, and increase the resiliency and competitiveness of our agricultural industry," said Sigurdson.

The announcement comes as the government and industry pitch a number of ideas to meet water needs in the face of a severe drought, with a dry winter affecting snowpack and reservoir storage.

Earlier this month, Canada's biggest irrigation district told irrigators they'd get half the amount of water to allocate to farmers that they would get in a good year — in part to avoid shortages.

Meanwhile, less than two weeks ago, the province announced what it said are the largest water-sharing agreements in Alberta's history.

The cost-shared Irrigation Rehabilitation Program has been in place since 1969. The provincial government pays for three-quarters of the program, while irrigation districts pitch in the remainder.

Examples of improvements include converting canals to pipelines, which helps to prevent water from being lost through evaporation and seepage. According to the province, about 9.2 kilometres of canals were converted under the program in 2022.

Irrigation is a major user of the province's water supply. Alberta has the largest irrigated area in Canada, reaching about 690,000 hectares in the province. Of that, 566,000 hectares are in southern Alberta along the South Saskatchewan River Basin.

Those irrigated acres produce 28 per cent of Alberta's agricultural gross domestic product, according to the news release.

More to come …