Alberta announced $1.1 million in funding this week for the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District as part of the province’s $10-million Irrigation Rehabilitation Program.
The funding will ensure the province’s irrigation districts continue to improve water infrastructure that provides water for irrigation and agricultural operations, municipal use, recreation, wildlife and habitat enhancement.
The money will go towards rehabilitation projects which include lining unlined canals and converting canals to pipelines, to increase the water conveyance network’s efficiency, allowing more acres to be irrigated with the existing water allocation.
Devin Dreeshen the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry says Irrigation infrastructure is critical to economic stability in southern Alberta.
"This grant will increase great-producing irrigated farmland by conserving water and increasing water efficiency through pipelines."
John Vandenberg, board chair, Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District says the funding will help ensure the infrastructure remains strong and can keep up with demand now and in the future.
Alberta’s irrigated land makes up almost 70 per cent of all irrigated acres in Canada.
Within the province’s irrigation districts, there are more than 42 reservoirs and about 7,600 kilometres of conveyance works, including canals and pipelines, which carry nearly two billion cubic metres of water per year.
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