Upgrades to irrigation creates jobs and boosts economy
By Kristi Cox Alberta Irrigation Districts Association
Every dollar spent improving irrigation in Alberta brings improvement to the economy. This investment ensures stable, efficient water delivery, creates job opportunities and provides a high rate of financial return for every dollar spent.
Thirteen Alberta irrigation districts provide water to end users. Water is diverted from rivers according to license agreements with the government of Alberta and moves through a network of 8,000 kilometres of canals and pipelines.
Irrigation districts work together with the government to ensure water is delivered efficiently. Upgrades to the systems are executed according to a plan developed by assessing current infrastructure and looking to future water needs.
In 1969, the government of Alberta established the Irrigation Rehabilitation Program (IRP).
In this cost sharing program, the government provides 75 per cent of the cost of capital projects to improve on infrastructure while the districts provide the balance. Many districts go beyond this, investing additional funds to accelerate the improvements.
Improvements include decreasing water seepage by lining open canals with impermeable liners, lowering erosion by stabilizing banks, increasing water capacity by enlarging canals or eliminating water losses entirely by installing pipeline systems for water delivery.
The 2015 study, Economic Value of Irrigation in Alberta, commissioned by the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association (AIDA), shows that for every dollar invested in irrigation by the government of Alberta, $3 in revenue is generated for the governments of Alberta and Canada combined.
The Western Irrigation District (WID) undertook construction this past winter on two IRP projects. One was to complete installation of an impermeable liner covered with gravel in a canal on their North Cluny system. The IRP invested approximately $3.67 million in this project, and it could generate $11 million in revenue for the governments.
This IRP investment also generates five full time equivalent jobs in the WID.
“These rehabilitation projects happen every year in part because of the commitment of the government of Alberta to the IRP program,” said Margo Redelback, executive director of the AIDA. “There is consistent employment for quite a few people in southern Alberta and around the province to supply the services and supplies needed. Irrigated agriculture and irrigation rehabilitation have been very consistent over the past 40 years.”
The economic benefits of investing in irrigation do not stop there.
“We’ve designed a system where more acres can be serviced and converted from dryland to irrigation,” explained David McAllister, WID’s general manager. “The expanded productivity generated by irrigation increases the volume of value-added processing. More jobs are then created by the increased value-added processing.”
The 2015 economic study indicated that irrigated agriculture contributed $3.6 billion to the provincial GDP each year. Over $102 million of this came from maintenance and improvements to irrigation infrastructure.
“The Economic Value of Irrigation in Alberta shows that irrigation operations and maintenance combined with irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation create about 1,400 full time equivalent positions,” said Redelback, adding that most are in southern Alberta. “That’s significant when it’s consistent year after year. When we add in things like value added processing and equipment suppliers, irrigation creates about 56,000 FTE positions and $2.4 billion in labour income.”
The government of Alberta’s budget 2020 estimates a $34 million investment in IRP projects over the next three years.
(The Alberta Irrigation Districts Association represents Alberta’s 13 irrigation districts on matters of shared interest)