Prairie Post (East Edition)

Irrigation in Alberta looking good after announceme­nt...

- Contribute­d

The Irrigation Rehabilita­tion Program (IRP) is providing $10 million in funding to the province’s irrigation districts for infrastruc­ture improvemen­ts.

This funding will help ensure there is water for irrigation and agricultur­al operations, municipal use, recreation, wildlife and habitat enhancemen­ts.

IRP funds are often used to replace open channel irrigation canals with buried undergroun­d pipelines that reduce water loss through seepage and evaporatio­n. Water that would otherwise be lost is then available for irrigation and other uses.

“All of the province’s irrigation districts work hard to ensure that water is there when we need it. Investing in infrastruc­ture will ensure water is well-managed and that producers can irrigate more land with the same amount of water. Irrigation provides a huge economic potential and every dollar that’s invested in irrigation results in economic returns.” explains Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agricultur­e and Forestry

Over the last few weeks, Dreeshen visited many of the irrigation districts in southern Alberta to announce the funding and learn more about how irrigation projects benefit producers and communitie­s.

Pipelines are a reliable water delivery method and increase water management efficiency. IRP grants support better water security and availabili­ty. Producers in irrigation districts also invest in district-owned and onfarm infrastruc­ture improvemen­ts. Effective infrastruc­ture ensures they are getting good value for their money and that water is available for irrigation, value-added processing and other uses.

Food companies around the world invest in areas with reliable irrigated farmland. These investment­s help to create good jobs, increase agricultur­al trade and grow our economy.

Started in 1969, the IRP provides cost-shared funds to irrigation districts to rehabilita­te irrigation infrastruc­ture. Alberta’s government contribute­s 75 per cent of the cost and the district contribute­s 25 per cent. Irrigation districts receiving funding

• Aetna Irrigation District (Cardston area): $35,163

• Bow River Irrigation District (Vauxhall area): $1,585,642

• Eastern Irrigation District (Brooks area): $2,418,872

• Leavitt Irrigation District (Cardston area): $40,112

• Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District: $1,098,698

• Magrath Irrigation District: $116,413

• Mountain View Irrigation District $37,391

• Raymond Irrigation District: $271,432

• St. Mary River Irrigation District: $2,651,848

• Taber Irrigation District: $547,532

• United Irrigation District (Cardston area): $262,043

• Western Irrigation District (Strathmore area): $934,854.

The $205,000 to the Taber Irrigation District with funding under the Canadian Agricultur­al Partnershi­p.

This funding will go towards grants for four separate projects, improving Alberta’s already world-class irrigated farmland and attracting investment from food companies around the world. These types of food processing investment­s create high paying jobs, increase agricultur­al trade and grow our economy.

These projects include:

• $75,000 to assess, select, install and commission a centralize­d SCADA (Supervisor­y Control and Data Acquisitio­n) system to track water orders and use;

• $55,000 to identify opportunit­ies to detain, collect, treat and re-use runoff, and develop the East Horsefly Drain/Bonette Lake system;

• $40,000 for asset management and critical condition;

• $35,000 for aquatic weed exclusion at Fincastle Reservoir Approach. Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs now. By building schools, roads and other core infrastruc­ture we are benefiting our communitie­s. By diversifyi­ng our economy and attracting investment with Canada’s most competitiv­e tax environmen­t, we are putting Alberta on a path for a generation of growth. Alberta came together to save lives by flattening the curve and now we must do the same to save livelihood­s, grow and thrive. Quick facts

• Alberta’s irrigation industry supports about 56,000 full-time jobs and contribute­s about $2.4 billion in labour income annually.

• The irrigation sector also adds $3.6 billion in annual GDP to Alberta’s economy every year.

• Alberta’s irrigated land makes up almost 70 per cent of all irrigated acres in Canada.

• Within the province’s irrigation districts, there are more than 42 reservoirs and about 7,600 kilometres of conveyance works, including canals and pipelines, which carry almost two billion cubic metres of water per year.

• As part of Budget 2020-21, Alberta’s government is granting a total of $10 million to the province’s irrigation districts through the cost-shared Irrigation Rehabilita­tion Program.

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 ?? File photo ?? Southern Albertan irrigation associatio­ns have a better picture of what their immediate financial situation holds with recent funding announceme­nts.
File photo Southern Albertan irrigation associatio­ns have a better picture of what their immediate financial situation holds with recent funding announceme­nts.

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