The water delivery agency for about 400 southern Alberta farmers’ irrigated land will get $85 million from the province to fix up its canals and add off-stream storage.
“It’s a huge step forward in helping improve water efficiency, which is a key priority under Alberta’s Water for Life strategy,” Environment Minister Rob Renner said in announcing the funding Wednesday for the Western Irrigation District.
The funding will go toward the district’s rehabilitation work on canals that are in poor condition, and to build off-stream water storage of up to 24,000 acre-feet in capacity, to make better and more efficient use of available water in the region.
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In related news, the province on Wednesday also announced the launch of the South East Alberta Watershed Alliance, a multi-stakeholder partnership meant to “encourage the sustainable management of South Saskatchewan River watershed’s main stem.”
The South East council, which incorporated this year following its establishment in 2007, is the ninth established watershed planning and advisory council (WPAC) in the province, not counting a 10th “emerging” WPAC, the Athabasca Watershed Alliance, the province said.
The South East council will hold its inaugural general meeting Thursday in Medicine Hat.
