The BRID, as a member of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association (AIDA), was notified recently by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas that they have opened a review and engagement of water availability including possible changes to the Water Act. This could result in amendments affecting water licences for irrigation districts and other licensees such as private irrigators, feedlots, and the entire irrigated agriculture sector.

We are requesting your involvement in the engagement process. This initiative needs a strong response, and so we ask BRID irrigators, and the entire irrigated agriculture sector, to step up to reinforce the work of the BRID Board and staff, AIDA, as well as our municipal and industrial partners in voicing concerns and suggestions.

What can you do?

 

Attend regional open houses:

Southern Alberta dates

• Monday, December 9 at 5:30 pm – In-person open house – Fort MacLeod at the Fort MacLeod & District Community Hall Society

 

Central and northern Alberta dates

• December 3 at 5:30 pm – In-person open house – Red Deer

 

Complete Online Surveys:

Brief Survey
Detailed Survey

 

Why is this important?

There are several items of potential concern, but the risk of claw back of a portion of our water licences under the misperception that we do not use our full licenced allocation is the most serious.

We are responsible stewards of our licences and place the needs of our communities, industry and livestock sustenance first. Our licences are sized to allow for a high demand/ high supply year and were based on calculations done by the Government of Alberta in 1991.

The Alberta government, irrigation districts, and individual irrigators have invested heavily over decades in the development, rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation storage, conveyance and on-farm irrigation infrastructure, as well as specialized equipment and facilities for value-added crop development and livestock production.

Any claw back of our water licences now or in the future will reduce yield and quality potential, and potentially set up the irrigated agriculture sector for disaster. This risk extends from our irrigators to processors, seed/fertilizer/equipment suppliers, financial, insurance and other secondary services, and ultimately to the communities that grow and thrive in our region as a result of this investment.

Additional Information:

The AIDA prepared a document summarizing the Provincial Water Availability Engagement and outlining key messages for the Irrigation Sector as a resource for irrigators. It has also prepared a paper providing thirteen suggestions on ways to improve water availability without harming existing water licence holders, which has been presented to Ministers Sigurdson, Schulz, and Schow in recent meetings with them. Both documents are available here. Please call your director if you require further information.

Provincial Water Availability Engagement - Call to Action
Provincial Water Availability Engagement - Identified Concerns