The investigation into developing irrigation in the region is moving forward this summer into more detailed technical work.
This work, which is being completed through a partnership including the Special Areas Board, Municipal District (M.D.) of Acadia, Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, is expected to help clarify what the opportunities are for investment in large scale, greenfield irrigation infrastructure in the region.
“Our council and staff have been working really hard to develop irrigation opportunities – we know how important opportunities like these are to the future of our region,” said Jason Wallsmith, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the M.D. of Acadia.
“Our council is excited to see the progress being made to fully understand what the options are and how we can bring irrigation projects to the M.D. and larger region.”
Over the summer, the project will focus on investigating areas of technical and financial feasibility including potential project scale; potential environmental, social and economic impacts; potential revenues, capital and operating costs; potential investment models; water availability and regulatory considerations; broader community impacts; and local producer considerations.
“Living in east-central Alberta, we understand how critical it is to secure a reliable supply of water,” stated Jordon Christianson, Special Areas Board chair.
“As a part of this partnership project, we are working hard to understand the technical, financial, and regulatory factors which impact our ability to develop irrigation in this region in a financially feasible way.”
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