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History of Irrigation 3 Canada

History of Irrigation 3 Canada. Water issues in Canada. Water Rights for irrigation farming Transboundary issues with the U.S. St Mary River and the Milk River Water and Hydro Power (e.g.) Columbia River Basin Treaty 1961

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History of Irrigation 3 Canada

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  1. History of Irrigation 3Canada

  2. Water issues in Canada • Water Rights for irrigation farming • Transboundary issues with the U.S. St Mary River and the Milk River • Water and Hydro Power (e.g.) Columbia River Basin Treaty 1961 Skagit River System, 1984 agreement not to raise the Ross Dam • Water Rights and 1.st Nation People Blood Tribe Agricultural Project

  3. Location of irrigation

  4. Irrigated land in Canada

  5. Water Rights Administration • 1867: Dominion of Canada Common Law; riparian rights • 1898: Northwest Irrigation Act Canadian Government claim ownership of the water Change from riparian to prior appropriation right • 1929: The Provinces take ownership

  6. Manitoba • 1929: Manitoba Water Rights Act • 1930-50s inactive • 1950: Following the flood, flood control activities were recommended by 1958 • 1959 Act amended to include water diversion and use incl. groundwater • During 60s administered by one person • During 70s licenses mostly for small farm dams and ducks unlimited dams • 1980: Following drought years dramatic increase in applications incl. large scale irrigation projects

  7. Manitoba • Late 80s early 90s potato processors required growers to have irrigation • During 1994 and 1995 there was a moratorium on new licenses along the Assiniboine River • 1996: New Water Act; proclaimed in 1998 • Late 1990s large scale irrigation projects mainly for potatoes • Early 2000: Major Water Sources are fully allocated

  8. Irrigation in Saskatchewan • When the province was established there were 110 irrigators operating 304 km of canals • Early development much slower than in Alberta –Palliser Triangle • 1929 Saskatchewan Water Right Act • 1935Federal Government establishedPrairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration as a result of the 1929-37 drought: - provided funds for 26 storage reservoirs - 6 irrigation projects serving 9.310 Ha + provincial government developed 9 irrigation projects • 1997 New Irrigation Act

  9. Irrigation in Alberta

  10. IRRIGATION IN ALBERTA The Waterton Dam completed in 1964 provides water for the St Mary system. Alberta has thousands of hectares of fertile soil, however, large portions of the southern and eastern areas suffer from a lack of rainfall

  11. An overview of legislation • 1879: First recorded irrigation scheme • 1892: St. Mary Irrigation Projects starts as Canadian Northwest Irrigation Company • 1894: North West Irrigation Act • 1906: Alberta Irrigation Act • 1915: Alberta Irrigation District Act • Provincially guaranteed mortgages for irrigation Dev • Powers to levy taxes to support operation and maintenacne • 1931: The Water Resource Act • Following transfer of water from Federal to Province • 1948: The Prairie Province Board to share the water in the prairie rivers.

  12. An overview of legislation • 1968: New Irrigation Act replaced all existing acts governing irrigation districts • 1970: Assist districts in rehabilitating capital works. Government 86% irrigators 14% • 1975: Water Resources Act: irrigation given priority over industry, power generation and recreational use • 1999: Water Act – introduced water trading • 2000: Irrigation Districts Act – trading within irrigation districts, outside trading only against plebiscite

  13. Development of Irrigation – 4 phasesPhase 1:The early years: pre-1920 • Characterized by admirable foresight, optimism, enthusiasm and speculation • Government conducted land and water surveys to identify potential irrigation sites. Actual development left to private enterprise • Limited knowledge of agro-climatic and agronomic parameters for viable irrigation • Therefore some projects failed while others endured with great debt

  14. Phase 2: The adjustment years 1920-50 • Relieving irrigators of capital works debt • Greater government financial responsibility • Water charges more based on ability-to-pay • Smaller and more intensive irrigation • Encouragement of higher value crops • Educational programs and technical assistance • By 1950 11 of the 13 farmer-run irrigation districts were established, the last two Bow and St Mary were established in 1968

  15. Irrigation districts within Alberta

  16. Phase 3: Rehabilitation and Expansion of the Delivery System: 1950-70 • Federal and Provincial Governments involved in large expenditures for the rehabilitation and expansion • Resettlement of drought-stricken farmers and war veterans was a big incentive for government to finance development • Governments willingness to assume responsibility increased stability and assurance of water supply

  17. Phase 4: Provincial and Irrigation District Control: 1970 to present • In 1969 the cost share-program was revised from 14/86 to 20/80 and in 1995 to 25/75 for rehabilitation • In 1975, the province took ownership of the major water delivery head works, to operate the projects for multi-purpose use • The irrigation districts experienced strong growth during 1970-80, an increase of 50% of irrigated area

  18. Growth of irrigation within the 13 districts in Alberta

  19. Growth of private irrigation in Alberta

  20. The Alberta Water Challenge Water scarcity emerging in Alberta due to: • Economic growth • Increased demand from industry, agriculture and domestic use • Increased environmental awareness, • Increased demand for water for in-stream purposes • Anticipated climate change

  21. The Alberta Response • In recognition of scarce resource status • 1999, 2000 introduced trading • 2001 a moratorium in the southern tributaries of the Oldman River • 2003 The Water for Life Strategy • 2005/06 stop accepting applications for new allocations for the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan River sub-basins

  22. It is not going to get any betterSome facts and future predictions • 22 of 33 main stem river reaches in the SSRB rated as ‘moderately impacted’, five as heavily impacted and three as degraded; • demand from non-irrigation could increase between 35 and 67% by 2021 and between 52 and 136% by 2046;

  23. It is not going to get any betterSome facts and future predictions • irrigation districts have the potential to expand by up to 10 and 20% in the Oldman and Bow Rivers; • the population in the SSRB expected to grow from 1.3 million in 1996 to over two million by 2021 and to more than three millions by 2046; and, • throw into this mix the impact of climate change.

  24. The water for life strategy • Acknowledge that demand is outstripping supply in many catchments • Sets out to ensure that future demand can be met without reducing existing production • How? Efficiency and productivity improvements and voluntary reallocations • How? Economic instruments, stakeholder participation, best management practices

  25. Water for Life Strategy Three strategic outcomes: • safe, secure drinking water supply; • healthy aquatic ecosystems; and, • reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy. Three directions of actions: • Knowledge and research, based on science • Partnerships, most solutions to water issues arises from the effective management of watersheds through partnership with stakeholders and the public; and, • Conservation, usage and storage of water must be improved through conservation

  26. Water for Life Strategy • evaluate the merits of using economic instruments to meet water conservation and productivity objectives by 2007 • ensure that Albertan’s understand the value of water to the economy and quality of life by 2007 • prepare water conservation and productivity plans for all water using sectors (best management practices) by 2010 • implement economic instruments as necessary to meet water conservation and productivity objectives by 2010 • complete watershed management plans by 2015 • improve the efficiency and productivity of water use by 30% by 2015 (relative to 2005 levels)

  27. Challenges in implementing the response How do we achieve these objectives? • Policy restrictions: • All existing water users must be respected; and • All reallocations of water to be on a voluntary basis

  28. But we have already come a long way - Irrigation methods

  29. On-farm application efficiency

  30. Historical cropping patternswithin irrigation districts

  31. Irrigation is not a uniform industryVariability in irrigation efficiency

  32. Variability in soil type

  33. Variability in frost free days

  34. Variability in supply reliability • Bow River Group: Never experienced restrictions • Central group: Have experienced restriction in worst drought years • Southern Tributary group: Most severe and frequent restriction

  35. Other differences • Bow River group has the biggest potential to expand, has the biggest districts with the biggest farms; some specialty crop production, highest rainfall • Central Group has smaller farms, little potential for expansion and most specialty crops and feed lots, middle rainfall • Southern group has the smallest farms, little capacity for expansion and the lowest value production, lowest rainfall

  36. Canadian-U.S. Water Treaties 1909 The Boundary Waters Treaty • Cooperation in the use of all waterways crossing the border • safeguard water levels and flows in the Great Lakes • the use of water from St Mary’s and Milk Rivers • Equal and similar rights to both countries • Creation of The International Joint Commission ( IJC ) to resolve disputes over water use • 1912 water pollution was one of the first problems and has remained so ever since

  37. Canadian-U.S. Water Treaties • 1955 The Great Lakes Fishery Commission • 1972 The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement • 1978 New, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement • 1987 New, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

  38. Transboundary Basins There are also regionally based arrangements such as the Great lakes charter

  39. The Milk and St Mary Rivers • Appointment of the Waters of the St. Mary and Milk River originating in Montana • 1909 Treaty said that the two rivers should be treated as one steam and shared equally • The 1921 Order, the 2 countries agrees to share equally after 12 years of negotiation. • US first 500 cfs from the Milk River, Canada first 500 cfc from St Mary during the irrigation season • Recognized that the sharing was not 50-50 but Canada got 58%

  40. The Milk and St Mary Rivers • The 1921 Order have been questioned 3 times since: last in 2003 and now in 2005 Montana is again complaining that: • the Order does not equally divide the waters of the 2 river basins • circumstances today are different than before 1921 • improvements are required to the administrative procedures that implement the Order

  41. Hydroelectric power-plantsthe predominant form of electric generation in Canada Started in 1900 and ended during the 1960s and 70s Few build since increased environmental and economic costs

  42. The most developed river system in the world for hydro More than 400 dams More than 21 mil KW Conflict of interest (not just Colombia): Hydro Irrigation Fishing Environment Columbia River Basin – The Colombia River Treaty 1961

  43. Since 1970s fish catch dramatically declined 80% of fish caught commercially from hatcheries 1992 salmon endangered and in 1998 steelhead Introduction of fish ladders 1 out of 400 dams: The Dallas Dam

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