SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
Irrigation districts across the province are urging the public to attend either a virtual or live meeting on changes to the Water Act.
The province launched their engagement with several issues that would have an impact on irrigation districts and on irrigators.
“The irrigation industry needs your help to reinforce our concerns. We need as many people as possible to attend virtual and in-person meetings and to vigorously respond by email and voicemail of your concerns to Alberta Environment & Protected Areas and our local MLA/Premier,” states a notice from Eastern Irrigation District.
The government is requesting Albertans to share their thoughts on ways to increase water availability and improve the water management system in the province.
“Outcomes of this consultation may include amendments to the Water Act as well as changes to the current water licensing system,” states the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association (AIDA).
The AIDA has provided a list of sector-endorsed suggestions to improve water management in Alberta.
The AIDA has listed the concerns and suggestions to improve access to water.
The association is suggesting that the existing transfer provisions of the Act remain in place as the most effective way to reallocate water in basis closed to new licences, eliminate conservation holdbacks on licence transfers and modify the requirement in the Irrigation Districts Act to allow irrigation districts to hold plebiscites for licence transfers and to improvement wastewater treatment to allow more water to remain in storage for other uses.
The AIDA and districts will have additional meetings over the coming months with the government.
“Not only is the engagement period very short, ending on Jan. 10, 2025, but it also falls over the Christmas holiday season,” states the AIDA.
The next in-person meeting is Dec. 3 in Red Deer but there are other opportunities for participation including online surveys which are available at https://www.alberta.ca/water-availability-engagement. Surveys are due by Jan. 10.
“It is a very important piece of legislation,” county councillor Neil Johnson said during Thursday’s council meeting.
