This content is part of an educational series designed by UPL to provide important and insightful news about the agriculture industry.
Water is the most precious Canadian resource. In Alberta, a semi-arid growing area, water conservation — especially in the southern area of the province — is of the utmost importance. This is where the majority of irrigation infrastructure lies, and this area is one of the primary river systems flowing eastward to the rest of the prairies.
Farmers these days usually face one of four daunting prospects relative to climate change: It’s too hot, too cold, too dry or too wet. Most, if not all, Prairie farmers have experienced all of these within the last two to three years. Along with rapidly shifting weather comes new vocabulary as well. Until recently, no one had ever heard of atmospheric rivers, heat domes, polar vortexes or flash droughts. However, these terms are now embedded within the minds of western Canada farmers who must contend with such issues on an increasingly frequent basis.
Plants senescing faster
Stefan Kienzle, a University of Lethbridge professor specialising in water resources in the Department of Geography and Environment, is quick to point out that conditions being too hot is the most common issue as of late, which also leads to the soil being too dry. This means crop potential is far less than anticipated because plants senesce faster and the weather stunts growth.
It’s why one of the primary solutions for such conditions continues to be irrigation. Although a costly endeavour, for many, it’s the only thing that helps the farm remain viable. Others are not so fortunate.
“There are more and more dryland farmers giving up and moving to other areas where they have a better chance,” Kienzle explains. “This is the result, of course, of climate change.”
Much of the moisture success for Prairie farmers begins in the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which melts annually and begins its eastward flow. However, the snowfall amount is the determining factor for Prairie farmers’ success. A mild, warm winter is the last thing a farmer wants, as it causes multiple issues come springtime.
Kienzle’s climate data has demonstrated that massive fluctuations between hot and cold have increased substantially across the Prairies, resulting, for example, in up to four times more heat waves and cold spells in some parts of Alberta today compared to the 1950s.
Dams and reservoirs
A large part of the solution is sufficient storage in dams and reservoirs.
Recently, the government of Alberta announced nearly $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades to its irrigation network. This includes converting open-air ditches to pipelines to reduce evaporation and adding reservoir capacity. While Kienzle is supportive of the investment, he says none of it makes a difference across Western Canada if snowfall decreases or Alberta goes into a period of prolonged drought.
“Our irrigation infrastructure is such that our reservoirs can hold only a maximum of two years of irrigation water,” he says. “So, year one, you have a drought, and you can get by. Year two, if you get a little bit of winter inflow, you may get by; but, if you have a drought that is longer than two years, there is simply not enough water and our irrigation system collapses.”
For farmers using irrigation, the best risk management tool is precision agricultural technologies. Centre pivot irrigation systems and data-driven precision ag systems are the keys to being as efficient with water as possible. This is critical in the face of the soil often not being recharged with moisture as it was in years past.
“We also have the increasing potential for evapotranspiration. Our desert condition becomes more ‘deserty’ and drives a higher evapotranspiration rate where soils dry out faster,” Kienzle says. “This means there will be no ability to recharge the groundwater as often as it may otherwise.”
Other relevant ideas for prudent water management include placing floating solar panels on reservoirs. Placing solar panels over hundreds of kilometres of irrigation canals creates shade and reduces evaporation. Also, aquaculture operations within reservoirs add value to the water.
Protect the Rockies
Farther upstream, Kienzle warns that the Rockies themselves must be protected at all costs and should continue to have stringent rules and guidelines to prevent both erosion and contamination of runoff. Only healthy forests provide conditions for groundwater recharge, which sustains our rivers in the summer.
“We live in a water-scarce region and need to protect our headwaters in the Rocky Mountains and keep reducing water wastage, both as individuals and as irrigators,” he says. “If we don't look after our water source, we are really shooting ourselves in the foot.”
If dryness continues or farmers mismanage water, it could ultimately affect cropping decisions and the viability of what can be grown across the Prairies.
“I would invite every farmer to ask this of themselves and be really honest: Is this the best crop I should be growing for this area?” Kienzle says. “You have to go with what the market offers, but also your environmental conditions.”
