Western Irrigation District Memories: Clayton Farms

By John Godsman Times Contributor

The Clayton family has developed and maintained a strong connection to irrigation, with multiple generations, literally and figuratively, constructing the foundation for irrigation in the region.
The Clayton family has farmed in the Chestermere area since 1901, with Barrie and Carol Clayton currently in charge of operations, supported by their extended family. Barrie is the third generation of his family to operate the Clayton farm, preceded by his father Harold and his grandfather William who founded the farm after emigrating from Wigan in Lancashire in 1899.
William was a skilled tradesman when he arrived in Canada and was hired by Canadian Pacific Railway due to his expertise as a master caster who made the drive wheels for their locomotives. William began the Clayton family’s involvement with irrigation by assisting in the construction of the original irrigation canal that bisected their farm.
In the early days, irrigation could only be provided by gravity methods, which was not possible on their land. When pumps were introduced to increase the water flow, the farm became irrigated. Barrie’s father Harold obtained irrigation rights in the early 1960s and used a hand-set irrigation system, which Barrie remembers as being very labour intensive.
The Clayton farm is located on the western edge of the Western Irrigation District (WID), and because of its advantageous location, it receives more precipitation in an average year, enabling them to use irrigation on a supplementary basis. The benefit of having water available when needed in the driest years is a significant bonus for Clayton Farms. The configuration of their land would be challenging to irrigate using centre-pivot technology relative to their present system. This asset was the original intent of the CPR when it inaugurated this project in the early 1900s.
As a former elected member of the WID, Barrie has seen the district transform from a water supply service for farmers and municipalities, to a regional water management service helping to address emerging challenges, such as storm water management.
The Clayton family’s involvement with irrigation, starting from William’s participation in construction of the original canal system and carrying through to the present generation’s use of irrigation and service on the WID Board, is a testament to the ongoing value irrigation has maintained within our region.