A pivot irrigation system at Outlook, Sask., on July 11, 2024.

Alberta farmers and ranchers aided by Water Amendment Act

Multiple-licence users like irrigation districts look to benefit in transparency through Water Amendment Act

Reading Time: 3 minutes A quarter-century in the making, the Water Amendment Act officially modernizes how Alberta manages its most precious resource. From streamlining multi-licence consolidations for irrigation districts to allowing ministerial approval for low-risk inter-basin transfers, these changes aim to support a growing economy while protecting the environment and the "first-in-time, first-in-right" priority system.

Photo: Thinkstock

Don’t fear FITFIR, says Alberta water expert

Rights holders likely to negotiate in times of water shortage

Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta river and reservoir levels remain lower than normal and water availability continues to worry irrigators. Will there be enough water to go around? What happens if there isn’t? Answers can be found in the province’s current Water Act, passed in 1999, which contains the same “first in time, first in right” (FITFIR) system that […] Read more