b'Irrigation UpgradeAlberta has doled out funding to upgrade its aging irrigation system.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONAS ALBERTAS EASTERN neighbour Saskatchewan announced an irrigationMountain View Irrigation District$37,391expansion this summer, Alberta dispensed funds across the southernRaymond Irrigation District$271,432portion of the province to improve its aging irrigation systems. St. Mary River Irrigation District$2,651,848All of the provinces irrigation districts work hard to ensure that water isTaber Irrigation District$547,532there when we need it, Devin Dreeshen, Albertas minister of agriculture andUnited Irrigation District in the Cardston area$262,043forestry, says in a news release. Investing in infrastructure will ensure waterWestern Irrigation District in the Strathmore area$934,854is well-managed and that producers can irrigate more land with the sameThe money is often used to replace open channel irrigation canals with amount of water. buried underground pipelines. This reduces water loss through seepage and The money was handed out as part of the Irrigation Rehabilitation Programevaporation, water which would otherwise be lost is then available for irrigation (IRP) which provides irrigation districts with funding at a ratio of 75 per centand other uses, the release notes.government to 25 per cent district. This summer there was $10 million handedOne irrigation district also received funding through the Canadian Agricul-out through IRP, a news release from the province says. tural Partnership (CAP). The Eastern Irrigation District received up to $100,000 Irrigation districts receiving funding: in funding through CAP to complete a dam safety review. The project was Aetna Irrigation District in the Cardston area$35,163 funded through CAPs Emergency Preparedness Program and will help provide Bow River Irrigation District in the Vauxhall area$1,585,642 the district with information about how to improve safety and reduce the risk of Eastern Irrigation District in the Brooks area$2,418,872 dam failure, a news release notes. Leavitt Irrigation District in the Cardston area$40,112 The funding for a dam safety review will ensure that the infrastructure Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District$1,098,698 remains safe and able to help the district continue to meet the needs of all of Magrath Irrigation District$116,413 those who benefit from this tremendous natural resource, Jason Hale, chair-man of the Eastern Irrigation District, says in a release.A news release from the Alberta government says the provinces irrigated land accounts for almost 70 per cent of all irrigated acres nationally. The provinces irrigated area includes more than 42 reservoirs and about 7,600 kilometres of conveyance worksincluding canals and pipelines, carrying almost two billion cubic metres of water per year. 16 SPUDSMART.COM FALL 2020'