toolman Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Check out how much of the water from the Bow river gets sent into irrigation ditches at Caresland. Remember, this water does not get returned to the river....ever. http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/regions/bo...gif/bowcarm.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wongrs Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 there was somebody a few years back that wanted to canoe from carsland downstream somewhere. they went to put their canoe in and there wasn't enough flow to float the canoe. think i saw it in a bow river keeper video. ag does use quite a bit of water (something in the area of 70%+ as i recall). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchy Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 What does the "BRID Div." stand for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harps Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Bow River Irrigation District Diversion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownstone Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 funny you should mention that..was down there last week and thought this is the most water Ive ever seen being diverted.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipper Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 there was somebody a few years back that wanted to canoe from carsland downstream somewhere. they went to put their canoe in and there wasn't enough flow to float the canoe. think i saw it in a bow river keeper video. ag does use quite a bit of water (something in the area of 70%+ as i recall). At least this explains why the water level in the South Saskatchewan River through Medicine Hat is so low! I am somewhat concerned about the lack of water. People bitc* about a few ducks getting "offed" in a sludge pond when the government diverts water fromm the S.S.R. at a most critical spawning time for the fish . I am more than 100% sure that we have lost most of this years eggs to the low water situation due to water diversion and this isn't the first time that have screwed with the fish habitat in this neck of the woods!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monger Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I believe the rules are that we only have to supply Sask with 50% of the water that flows through AB. The rest is needed to mist the fields and evaporate over the southern desert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I'm no expert but I believe the farmers may need that water to grow food. And since I like to eat I guess I'm alright with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harps Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 At least this explains why the water level in the South Saskatchewan River through Medicine Hat is so low! I am somewhat concerned about the lack of water. People bitc* about a few ducks getting "offed" in a sludge pond when the government diverts water fromm the S.S.R. at a most critical spawning time for the fish . I am more than 100% sure that we have lost most of this years eggs to the low water situation due to water diversion and this isn't the first time that have screwed with the fish habitat in this neck of the woods!. The nice thing is... If there is little water, the fish won't spawn in areas that will dry out- just areas that will get more water as the spring moves on. Checking the snow pillow data... most of the water has yet to come. It's not that water is being held back for irrigation, it really just hasn't melted yet... Okay, I thought that, then I looked at what water is coming out of the LNID weir. Wow, they are operating above the top quartile, while flows in the river are well below the bottom quartile. Somebody needs to take the gov't to task! This sort of crap has gone on long enough... drain the reservoirs over the winter to fix them or for no real reason, then kill the river in the spring, because there is not enough water to fill the reservoirs. Somebody should write to the SRD minister and the DFO minister... (or auditor generals) to find out how the province of Alberta can operate/manage water this way with such little disregard for anything but the irrigation districts. The Oldman coming out of the dam is over 30 cms... in Lethbridge when you add the flows of the Belly, the St. Mary, and Willow Creek and the flow is only 24cms. That' 7cms lower than it was at the dam... how the hell is that allowed!?! Looking at how they've ramped the flows up and down in the Belly and St Mary, its obvious that the fishery would be affected. We need a public show of concern right to the ministers level to get something done... there is too much power in the irrigation districts and it seems to me that they are violating the Fisheries Act: Section 35(1): No person shall carry on any work or undertaking that results in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat. Hmmm... taking the water from the river and the fish... disrupting their spawning... lowering the size of the river... altering natural flow patterns... Anybody wanna write a letter? Office of the Auditor General Environmental Petitions The Commissioner on the Environment and Sustainable Development accepts environmental petitions. For comments or questions about the petitions process or to submit a petition, please contact us at the following: Mailing Address: Office of the Auditor General of Canada Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Attention: Petitions 240 Sparks Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G6 Fax: (613) 941-8286 Telephone: (613) 995-3708 E-mail: petitions@oag-bvg.gc.ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harps Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I'm no expert but I believe the farmers may need that water to grow food. And since I like to eat I guess I'm alright with it. I'm sure wheat would grow fine without the irrigation... Sugar beets on the otherhand? In a near desert climate!?! The water is for the reservoirs that were drained (poor planning). We should be adapting right now to using less water... it is coming (not the water). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolman Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 I'm no expert but I believe the farmers may need that water to grow food. And since I like to eat I guess I'm alright with it. Farmers grow crops to make MONEY...whether their crops are for human consumption, bird food or bio fuel...it's all about making ca$h. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reevesr1 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Farmers grow crops to make MONEY...whether their crops are for human consumption, bird food or bio fuel...it's all about making ca$h. Judging by the rate at which the younger generation is leaving the farm, they don't make much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolman Posted May 10, 2008 Author Share Posted May 10, 2008 Is that a reliable indicator of a business sectors economic viability? Lots of young people also don't want to work up north in the oil patch, (like their dad did..) but that does'nt mean there's no money in the oil business. My own kids want nothing to do with the industry I work in, even though I earn a respectable living doing so. ps. Back to the water issue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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