The Eastern Irrigation District will receive up to $100,000 in funding from the federal and Alberta provincial governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), to complete a dam safety review, the Alberta government says in a news release on July 31.
“This information will provide a better understanding of the risks of a canal failure and the potential impacts to downstream residents and businesses,” Devin Dreeshen, Alberta minister of agriculture and forestry, says in the release.
The project is funded through CAP’s Emergency Preparedness Program and will provide the district with information about how to improve safety and reduce the risk of dam failure, the release notes. It will help the district respond effectively to emergencies which have the potential to threaten irrigation infrastructure, negatively impact human or animal health, threaten crops or cause significant economic losses.
“The funding for a dam safety review will ensure that the infrastructure remains safe and able to help the district continue to meet the needs of all of those who benefit from this tremendous natural resource,” Jason Hale, chairman of the Eastern Irrigation District, says in the release.
