Alberta's irrigation district managers are proposing a $5-billion plan for water storage and conservation in the province's south as the region faces increasingly tight supplies of the vital resource. People watch as water from the Bow River flows through the Bassano Dam before meeting up with the South Saskatchewan River in Bassano, Alta., on Saturday, June 22, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

By The Canadian Press

Alberta irrigators’ study proposes $5 billion in water storage for drier future

Apr 5, 2024 | 11:30 AM

Alberta’s irrigation district managers are proposing a $5-billion plan for water storage and conservation in the province’s south as the region faces increasingly tight supplies of the vital resource.

The plan is contained in a newly released report from the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association.

It says lands drained by the South Saskatchewan River will face more pressure on their water supplies as the province’s population grows and climate change continues to bite.

Association director Margo Redelback says the region will probably still have enough water in years to come.

But she says it will probably come at different times of the year, or will drain away as runoff instead being released slowly by melting glaciers or snow.

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Her group is proposing eight water storage projects or improvements to even out that availability, as well as new wetlands to absorb water flowing through.

Redelback acknowledges the projects will have to be managed carefully to keep enough water in rivers and streams for environmental needs.

The report says the projects could generate up to $6 billion in economic activity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2024.