Alberta is making it easier for farmers, ranchers, communities, businesses, and emergency responders to store and use water, announcing new rules that triple dugout capacity limits and expand exemptions under the Water Act.Effective immediately, farmers and ranchers can fill dugouts up to 7,500 cubic metres — up from the previous 2,500 cubic metre limit — provided the water is used for agricultural purposes. The change aims to protect agricultural operations from future droughts while supporting strong, resilient farming across the province.“Albertans asked for practical improvements to make more water available, and we’re delivering,” said Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.“These changes make it easier for farmers, businesses, and communities to access and store water. It’s good for communities, the environment and the economy.”R.J. Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, said the move responds directly to producers’ concerns. .“Reliable access to water is essential for Alberta’s farmers and ranchers, especially as they manage drought risk and plan for the future,” Sigurdson said. “These practical changes make it easier to store and use water responsibly so agricultural operations can remain strong, resilient and productive.”The government is also promoting the use of stormwater to reduce pressure on fresh water sources. Newly constructed wetlands can now capture and fill with up to 7,500 cubic metres of local runoff per year, up 1,250 cubic metres from the previous limit, supporting the development of more wetlands provincewide.Other exemptions include access to water for bridge and sign washing, dust control, temporary work camps, and borrow pits on unoccupied public land in the Green Area. Firefighting and spill response training may now use up to 100 cubic metres per source per day. Borrow pits may supply up to 1,000 cubic metres per day where no fish are present, and temporary camps may use up to 2,500 cubic metres per year..Recent legislative changes, including the Water Amendment Act, have removed the need for riparian restoration projects to obtain temporary diversion licences and ended unnecessary 10% holdbacks on most water licence transfers, giving Albertans more flexibility to store and use water.The expanded exemptions also allow dugouts of up to 7,500 cubic metres to be built without approval, stormwater ponds to store 7,500 cubic metres with an outflow or 15,000 cubic metres with no outflow, and wetlands to capture up to 7,500 cubic metres annually.As Alberta faces increasing water demand, the government says these changes modernize water management and provide practical solutions for agriculture, communities, and emergency preparedness.
