City Notebook: Water, water everywhere, but where’s it gonna go?

By Collin Gallant on October 12, 2024.

The greatest threat to native grassland in southern Alberta might not be solar energy facilities but instead, irrigation.

That might seem counterintuitive, after all the definition of “prime” ag land varies greatly from buyer to seller and from solar developer to neighbouring opponent.

There’s no secret the province is keen to boost irrigated acres with a variety of reservoir projects. In fact, it’s a headlined campaign promise, but how much and how big has always been vaguely discussed – the same sort of way water rights are held close to the vest.

But, it seems, there’s been no shortage of angling on the issue, which is proposed as drought and flood mitigation with economic development thrown in for good measure.

This week, Premier Danielle Smith told a luncheon crowd of economic agencies in Medicine Hat that, in total, irrigation capacity could grow enough to put another 500,000 acres under the pivot.

It’s a staggering number. It would be akin to adding a whole new St. Mary’s River Irrigation District to the existing landscape, and it’s tough to imagine that won’t involve sod-busting.

Already moving ahead are expansions at Chin, Rattlesnake Lake (near Bassano) and one near Vauxhall, via a 2020 deal with the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Six years ago, the News was the first (and still only?) outlet to report on a dozen priority projects of the Alberta Irrigation council.

Currently there’s provincial money for studies of the Eyremore Dam Reservoir proposal near Bassano dam, another east of Red Deer, as well as support for the long-proposed Acadia Valley project.

The fine accounting

This week the News reported city debt levels at the beginning of 2024 at $389 million, but a different figure is used for calculating a provincial debt limit. No, it’s not a typo, but the result of the city having signed $45 million in letters of credit with provincial oil and gas regulators in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Those could soon be torn up as the city’s well count diminishes and wells are certified as properly abandoned.

Out and about

– Travois Aleworks will hold a spelling bee Oct. 17 to raise funds for the Medicine Hat Public Library’s free library card program. The pub-trivia-night-styled event requires pre-registration for individuals or teams up to three.

– Leader, Sask. is considering a bylaw to allow golf carts on town streets. Alberta recently passed laws allowing similar pilot programs for villages, resort towns or hamlets. Is there any appetite in this region?

A look ahead

City councillors meet Tuesday in committee to hear an overview of the summer at downtown’s Towne Square. Council should hear a proposal to rearrange committee work at its next meeting on Oct. 21.

100 years ago

A cement walkway was completed on the upstream side of Finlay Bridge and its approach, replacing a wooden walk at lower cost, the News reported 100 years ago this week.

About 550 sacks of cement were needed to connect Riverside to the front door of the News buildings (at the present day site of City Hall), while the downstream side would remain wooden slate in order to access water piping that ran below the bridge deck.

Two errors in the bottom of the 12th inning gave the Washington Senators their first World Series pennant over the New York Giants. A crowd of 35,000, including president Coolidge, “swept down on the field into a joy-mad outburst of enthusiasm… throwing hats, cushions and spirits to the wind.”

The giant zeppelin “ZR-3” arrived safely in Lakehurst, N.J., having made the 5,000-mile journey from Germany in 81 hours.

Drilling crews near Turner Valley hit a tremendous flow of natural gas at the Royalite No. 4 well, estimated at 19 million cubic feet per day.

From the ads: “Use Sage Tea to darken hair â€¦ it’s grandmother’s recipe â€¦ This is the age of youth. Gray-haired unattractive folks aren’t wanted around, so get busy.”

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com.