June rain welcomed by irrigation district

Jun 21, 2022 | 11:32 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — After last year’s hot dry summer, the rain this month across southern Alberta is a welcome relief for everyone in agriculture.

That includes the St. Mary’s River Irrigation District, as it began the season with lower levels in the reservoirs due to last year’s drought.

But with the rain and some remaining mountain snow still to melt, prospects are much brighter.

So much so that the district manager David Westwood anticipates irrigation producers may not need as much water this summer as previously thought.

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“There’s a strong chance with the rains that we’ve had that what they will need from an irrigation perspective could be lower than obviously if we didn’t get these timely rains in June,” says Westwood.

“I’m anticipating that our overall district-wide usage could be down this year as compared to last year’s hot dry summer,” explains Westwood.

Producers water allotments were set at 16 inches at the farm gate at the end of March, but Westwood says the board of directors will review conditions as the season progresses and upwards adjustments could be made, if warranted.

by Brian Konrad

June rain welcomed by irrigation district

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