By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter) with files from Uof-A

Alberta Land Institute report zeroes in on water demand and irrigation expansion

Nov 22, 2017 | 1:27 PM

EDMONTON –  It’s one of the world’s most valuable resources and Canada has an enviable supply.  However, there are ever increase demands being put on our country’s fresh water supply, prompting research into how best to protect the commodity and determine the optimum usage.
 
Some of that research has been done in Southern Alberta, under the direction of the University of Alberta scientists.
 
While there is concern is some regions about water supply depletion, a recently released report by the Alberta Land Institute (based out of the U of A) looks at the economic benefits of expanding Alberta’s irrigation system and improved forecasting of agricultural and irrigation needs.
 
Dr. Evan Davies, from the U-of-A, prepared the report which is one of the most detailed models of its kind for river basins in Canada. A new systems model, called CropSD, is able to simulate yield and biomass for six different crop types.  It calculates irrigation demand for each crop based on on-farm irrigation technologies, gross irrigation water demands based on the conveyance network, and reservoir releases to satisfy irrigation demands.
 

(Video credit to Alberta Land Institute)

In a news release, Dr. Davies oulined the importance of the modelling.

“For irrigation districts, it simulates water efficiency, crop mix and infrastructure options, and projects crop production under various plausible future conditions. For provincial ministries, Alberta’s Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACS) and other groups a fully realized model would provide detailed, long-term projections of watershed conditions; show possible consequences of water resources management options; and quantify trade-offs among water uses and their associated policies.”

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According to Davies, the simulations will run to 2040 to assist municipalities, irrigation districts and government agencies in making decisions on water usage and provide data for conservation.
 
Information in the report shows that irrigation in Alberta generated roughly $3.2 billion to the national GDP in 2011. The document also found that the expansion of current public investment from both the province (75 per cent) and irrigation districts (25 per cent) would offer large benefits for producers, “with a net-profit value of $78 million or $1,324 per hectare at the baseline discount rate of 10 per cent.”
 
There is more work to be done on the issue, however, the report notes that to ensure stable water markets, “a water sharing regime would be best, regardless of the adequacy of the water supply, to increase the welfare of licenced crop producers, livestock producers, the irrigation district and its members.
 
The entire report can be accessed online: Systems modelling for sustainable land and water policy in Alberta’s irrigation sector