The UCP government said reservoirs were not low in the spring as Alberta had lower snowpack levels this past winter, which resulted in a lower supply of water to farmers..Recently, the St. Mary River Irrigation District issued a warning to all farmers in southern Alberta..The warning stated, effective immediately, due to the extensive heat, lack of meaningful rainfall, unprecedented irrigation use to date and reservoir storage levels, the Board of Directors said it has made the decision to reduce water allocation at the farm gate of the Forty Mile Reservoir to 13 in. from 14 in..READ MORE: Farmers in southern Alberta warned about low reservoir storage levels.The reservoir is located in the County of Forty Mile, in southern Alberta.."Water shortages are common in some areas of Alberta. However, this has been a particularly hot, dry summer," Acting Communications Director Agriculture and Irrigation Jeanna Friedley for the UCP government said.."Reservoirs were not low in the spring and were in normal condition following demand and delivery for 2022. Spring melt and runoff projections are based on snowpack readings in the southern tributaries' headwaters. Measurements confirmed that this past winter had lower snowpack levels, which resulted in lower supply.".Friedley told the Western Standard in a statement that the volume of flow changes from location to location over time. ."Alberta’s government is monitoring the situation and is working closely with water users and local governments to help manage and conserve water, where possible," Friedley said.."We are closely monitoring precipitation levels, reservoirs and lake levels, stream flow rates in rivers, and water demand.".A US$91.3-million project to replace the aging St. Mary Diversion Dam is expected to start construction in 2024, strengthening a system relied on by farmers and communities for water in Alberta and Montana, reports the Western Producer.."Few improvements have been made to the American-controlled dam since it was built circa the First World War," said Tim Romanow, executive director of the Milk River Watershed Council Canada (MRWCC).."It provides up to 90% of the flow of the Milk River by diverting water from the St. Mary River near Babb, Montana, into a canal system linking the two rivers.".According to the MRWCC website, the Milk River watershed, located in the southern part of Alberta is unique watershed. It is known not just for its dry climate, extraordinary landscapes and diverse plant and wildlife communities but also for the direction in which the Milk River flows..The Milk River is the only watershed in Alberta that drains south to the Gulf of Mexico. Alberta shares the Milk River watershed with the province of Saskatchewan and the State of Montana in the US..Romanow recently spoke at the recent annual conference of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association in Calgary..He said the failure in 2020 of a concrete drop structure forced the canal to shut down that summer, causing the Milk River to dwindle to a trickle.."Government has already taken multiple steps to manage water, including working closely with municipalities, implementing angling restrictions and working directly with livestock and poultry producers in hard-hit areas to find alternative water sources," Friedley said.."Keep in mind that reservoir storage is intended to be utilized, especially in times of high demand and low supply like this year. Low reservoir levels can lead to a situation where if lower than normal snowfall accumulation in the headwaters occurs, the low capture of runoff will result in a low volume of water stored in the reservoirs.".Friedley said the UCP government owns headworks reservoirs to manage water supply within the river basins of Alberta.."Provincial staff from Environment and Protected Areas and Agriculture and Irrigation are working with licence holders, major water users and Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils to support water conservation planning, as required."
