Dear Editor,
It has been an interesting week of government communications so here is a follow up letter.
A little history on Alberta’s water. It started with the Hudson Bay Company dating back to 1870, and the transfer of land and water south of the North Saskatchewan River.
“The Government of Alberta can claim beds and shorelines of permanent and naturally occurring water including the lands underneath these waters.
“Historical research can be used to establish beds and shores of a body of water. The rights to a bed or shore may be defined by a court of law.”
From this communication I have been advised the surface water in the area of concern is deemed permanent and naturally occurring giving the rights of water to the Alberta Government. Photo’s dating back to 1947 show our water network. The government defines it as permanent and naturally occurring.
It is therefore theirs to licence to whom they choose.
Your water is therefore, for the discretional use of the Government of Alberta. This includes established water storage such as dugouts within these networks.
We only have access to surface water at the discretion of our government unless defined by a court of law.
Ask your MLA. Who are you licensing our water to and why?
Ask your MLA. Is the licensing of farmer and cattlemen’s water given to industry part of Alberta’s new ‘Industry Water
Sharing agreement’ being announced this month?
The more we learn, the less we want to know.
Sure hope it rains!
County of Paintearth Resident
Dwayne Felzien