SMRID will meet nine-inch water allocation but unlikely to move past it

By Medicine Hat News on July 30, 2024.

The St. Mary’s Irrigation District told members it expects to meet a recently increased allocation to irrigators in 2024, but likely won’t increase it any further as users across the province grapple with storage concerns.

SMRID, the largest irrigation in Alberta, initially cut allocation in half for the growing season in the spring when concerns of persisting drought and low reservoir levels led to voluntary agreements for reductions.

That was raised from eight inches per acre to nine in June as reservoirs approached normal levels, but on Friday, a bulletin stated that considering snow pack in the mountains has essentially been exhausted, no further increase is coming.

“SMRID Reservoirs have made minor gains in storage since … June and now contain 220,500 acre-feet of storage, or 69 per cent of our (full supply limit),” said David Westwood, SMRID general manager, adding headworks reservoirs are at 92 per cent, or 430,000 acre-feet.

“Based on information provided by Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation and projected water usage in the district, allocation will remain at nine inches.”

SMRID predicts that combined reservoir storage levels will be below average at the end of the 2024 irrigation season, but higher than at the end of 2023.

That will affect member’s fall irrigation plans.

The Eastern Irrigation District set its allocation at 15 inches in April, raised that in June to 18 inches, plus six inches of transfer.