Irrigators in Milk River Basin Face Tough Season
Irrigators in the Milk River basin could be in for a tough year, as winter precipitation was generally strong but much of the snowmelt entered rivers earlier than usual or was absorbed into dry soils, according to the province's May water supply outlook. Little additional runoff is likely, it adds. On top of this, southern Alberta irrigators in the basin cannot draw water from the Milk River due to a treaty with the United States.
During the irrigation season, from April 1 to Oct. 31, Canadian irrigators and other users are eligible to use 25 per cent of the natural flow of the Milk River. As of April 30, Canada was in deficit to the United States, and International Joint Commission accredited officers have ordered Canadian irrigators to cease withdrawals from the Milk River to comply with the treaty.
Roughly 30 to 40 farm families are unable to draw irrigation water due to the cessation order now in place, said Tim Romanow, Milk River Watershed Council executive director. He noted that when numbers were crunched a few years ago, that amounts to about $7.5 million of lost production on 8,200 acres of licensed irrigation land in the watershed.
Last year, the total volume of water naturally flowing in the Milk River was the lowest recorded in a century, said Romanow. And this year, it looks like it is going to be worse. Last spring, the area received a snowmelt early in the season, with the average flow five to six cubic metres per second. This year, the recorded peak was around 1.8 metres per second and came through much earlier in the season, around the end of February to early March.
While grass is growing in the area thanks to enough timely rains, there is not enough water to sustain livestock on the pastures. May is usually one of the region's wettest months, but the area, as well as the headwaters, has been pretty dry this spring. Romanow said they ran out of time to accumulate any snow this winter, putting them in a bad situation.
The Alberta government asked U.S. officials for additional water use flexibility on the Milk River this year to help Canadian irrigators, but the IJC accredited officers rejected Alberta's request due to similar drought concerns on the U.S. side, said the office of Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter in a statement. Officers also felt there was a low likelihood of Canada being able to repay the water deficit.
Romanow lamented that if the water had been available in the spring, it would have been night-and-day for irrigators, allowing them to bounce along for a little bit longer in the season and reduce some of the impact if there was an early shutoff.
