Snow-struck city commuters in southern Alberta can take solace in knowing they’re taking one for the team.That’s because this month’s unseasonably snowy weather has helped ease — but not eliminate — drought fears in rural areas surrounding the city providing much-needed relief for farmers and watersheds.Thus far more than 62 centimetres of snow have been recorded by the Environment Canada weather station at the Calgary International Airport to March 24 — almost three times more than normal and the second highest since 70.3 centimetres fell in March 1998..March is usually the snowiest month of the year in southern Alberta, with an average of 22.7 centimetres. But the 62 centimetres to date will be added to, as more snow is on the way for later this week heading into Easter. It all adds up to a sigh of relief for farmers in southern irrigation districts and the Palliser Triangle that were staring down potentially the driest year since 2001.Even so, it’s not stopping the Alberta government from moving ahead with ambitious water conservation and storage strategies. The UCP government has spent much of the winter renegotiating and allocating water licenses..“We are committed to examining whether the Eyremore Dam can be built and operated for a cost that provides true value to Albertans.”Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson.On Monday, Alberta Agriculture announced steps to study the feasibility of building the Eyremore Dam to create a new water reservoir on the Bow River in southeastern Alberta, which was first proposed in the 1960s as a hydropower reservoir.The UCP government has commissioned Hatch Ltd. to complete a $5 million assessment that is expected to begin immediately. The long-awaited report is due in the spring of 2025.“We are taking a whole-government approach to managing and maintaining provincial water management infrastructure systems to make sure Albertans have access to the water they need when they need it,” said Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson. “We are committed to examining whether the Eyremore Dam can be built and operated for a cost that provides true value to Albertans.”.The project would potentially be located about 43 kilometres downstream of the Bassano Dam east of Brooks and Lake Newell.Farmers said they are pleased to see the government finally taking the issue seriously.“It is exciting to see this study begin. Right now, we're limited in our collective ability to manage water effectively and this study will examine how the proposed reservoir can correct that,” said Richard Phillips, general manager, Bow River Irrigation District, who has long argued the lack of government-owned and operated storage is a weakness in the entire Bow River irrigation system.“A new multi-purpose reservoir at this location would revolutionize water management in the South Saskatchewan River Basin,” he added.
