Horticulture Economic Indicator #36 is 85% (more efficient)

As MNP's Leader for Horticulture and Irrigation, welcome to my series on important economic facts for the Canadian horticulture industry.

This past week, I had the pleasure of attending the first session of a water law seminar put on by the law firm McMillan LLP. Here is a link to their website in case you want to tune into future episodes. It is great to see increased interest in the topic of water and how it can be used sustainably.

Among their speakers was the general manager of the Bow River Irrigation District (one of the largest in Alberta).?Here are some of his slides that show why it is possible to increase irrigation acres without causing a strain on the water system.?

A few of the important facts: pivots now comprise 87% of all irrigation systems and they are 85% more efficient than other methods like flood irrigation. Since 2001 there has been a 16% increase in irrigation acres in these three main Alberta irrigation districts.

The move towards more efficient irrigation systems has contributed to a reduction in water use in these irrigation districts from a high in 1992 of 1,142,0000 acre feet to only 822,000 acre feet in 2020.?In this same time (1992 to 2020), irrigation acres increased 25%!?

We can continue to develop irrigation acres on the prairies in a sustainable way by continuing to be more efficient with our water usage. I encourage you to attend future water sessions as the topic will continue to be an important one. The same principals learned in Alberta can be applied to other areas using irrigation (especially relevant due to the 2021 drought).

Thanks for reading my weekly updates!

Don't forget to read my articles and watch for future updates on many topics related to accounting, tax, horticulture and irrigation. Follow me for information related to farming and irrigation on my social media platforms:?

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