Irrigation for agriculture receives funding

Janet Kanters
Times Associate Editor

 

The province of Alberta and the federal government are providing $1 million in grants to improve water management, environmental sustainability and agricultural production.
According to Oneil Carlier, provincial minister of agriculture and forestry, modern and reliable irrigation is critical to the success of Alberta farmers.
“This funding will support Alberta farm families with the freshwater resources they need to improve the efficiency, sustainability and productivity of their operations across southern Alberta,” said Carlier.
Ron McMullin, executive director with Alberta Irrigation Projects Association, $1 million in grants is welcome news for irrigation districts.
“This funding will help ensure that we continue to manage this valuable resource in a way that benefits us all,” said McMullin.
The grants will provide funding to help irrigation districts and irrigators plan and develop tools that will enhance innovation and improve efficiency of Alberta’s irrigation systems.
The Western Irrigation District, headquartered in Strathmore, provides irrigation water to more than 400 farms and 96,000 acres of land, and supplies municipal water to 12,000 people in four different communities through 1,200 km of canals and pipelines.
Alberta’s irrigation system includes 13 irrigation districts with 8,000 km of canals and pipelines, worth an estimated $3.5 billion. The system provides water to roughly 1.4 million acres, 50 towns and villages, multiple industries and processors, and is the main source of reservoir/lake recreation in the southern part of the province.