By Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs - (@morrittjacobs on Twitter)

$1-Million Irrigation Investment to Improve Water Management

Aug 22, 2016 | 12:47 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The federal, provincial and territorial governments have provided $1 million dollars in grants to improve water management, environmental sustainability and agricultural production.

Oneil Carlier, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Forestry visited Alberta Irrigation Technology Centre, near Lethbrige, to announce the grant that will help support the 13 irrigation districts in southern Alberta.

Carlier said that the funding will support Alberta farms with the freshwater resources needed to improve the efficiency, sustainability and productivity.

“Irrigation is a real success story for Canada with 70 per-cent of all irrigated land in Canada being in Southern Alberta. That’s approximately 1.4 million acres, which helps to produce 20% of the country’s cash crops because of irrigation.”

The grant program is part of the Growing Forward 2 – federal-provincial-territorial partnership that has a mandate to drive an innovative, competitive and profitable Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.
Lawrence MacAulay, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food said that the money is welcome news for irrigation districts in their plans to develop tools to enhance efficiency.
The province’s irrigation currently provides water to roughly 1.4 million acres, 50 towns and villages, multiple industries and processors.

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Carlier said that the grant program was discussed at the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Government Agricultural Ministers Conference, that took place last month and plans are already in the work for a third “Growing Forward,” campaign.