Lethbridge to host engagement on irrigation & water use

Southern Alberta virtual public open house – Nov. 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Open house at Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge – Nov. 28 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

The Alberta Irrigation Districts Association (AIDA) is asking as many people as possible to get involved in the engagement.

“We need your help to reinforce our concerns and our suggestions and to share any thoughts and opinions you have. Not only is the engagement period very short, ending on January 10, 2025, but it also falls over the Christmas holiday season,” reads a news release from AIDA.

The organization has provided a list of suggestions for it thinks water access could be improved in Alberta:

The existing transfer provisions of the Water Act remain the most effective way to reallocate water in basins closed to new licenses and should continue to be recognized as the best alternative.
Eliminate conservation holdbacks on licence transfers.
Modify the requirement in the Irrigation Districts Act for irrigation districts to hold plebiscites for licence transfers.
If it is determined that transfers alone will not provide sufficient allocation for priority uses, consideration should be given to modifying licences where the licensee’s operations result in return flow to the source river to provide credit for a significant portion of the return flow if returned in acceptable condition.
Unnecessary restrictions on irrigation district licence amendments to provide water for other purposes should be removed.
Allow environmental organizations to participate in water licence transfers by obtaining allocations to be left in rivers to enhance instream flow from licensees that are currently using water for other purposes.
There should continue to be no provincially mandated volumetric pricing.
The GOA should ensure that during droughts reservoir releases do not exceed requirements to meet downstream use and minimum flow requirements, including those mandated by the 1969 Master Agreement on Apportionment.
The GOA should investigate further opportunities for agreements with TransAlta to operate their reservoirs to serve multiple purposes.
All reservoir owners should consider opportunities to increase winter storage carry-over in existing reservoirs in years with adequate water supplies.
Investigate the feasibility of all projects identified in the “Adaptation Roadmap for the SSRB: Assessment of Strategic Water Management Projects to Support Economic Development in the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSROM Phase 3) Final Report” by WaterSmart Solutions and implement all feasible projects.
Improve wastewater treatment to allow more water to remain in storage for other uses.
Ensure ongoing government support is available to all water using sectors to improve water efficiencies by modernizing aging infrastructure and introducing new innovative technologies.

More than 75 per cent of Canada’s total irrigated area is in Alberta, most of which is in the southern region.

The irrigation system not only feeds water to farms but also to municipal, residential and industrial uses.

More insights from AIDA can be found here.

Learn more about the consultations on the Government of Alberta website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now

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by David Opinko

Lethbridge to host engagement on irrigation & water use

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