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Irrigation Branch | |
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Overview
The Irrigation Branch of Alberta Agriculture and Food offers a broad range of engineering, water management and agronomic services to irrigation producers and the irrigation industry. The Branch carries out a wide variety of research, demonstration and extension activities directly related to irrigation within southern Alberta. The areas of direct responsibility are: producer and industry consultation, research, planning and development, demonstrations and education on matters relating to irrigated agriculture. It is composed of a team of irrigation specialists, research agrologists, engineers, and technologists. With an emphasis on planning, water management, soil and water quality and research and development the Irrigation Branch provides expertise to address the following issues:
On-farm irrigation water use
- To provide expert technical water management assistance to irrigators through extension, water management tools, computer software and training.
- To determine and quantify seasonal crop water requirements of crops grown within the irrigated area of southern Alberta.
- To advise users on making the most efficient and best use of our limited water resource.
Management of Irrigation water supply, distribution and infrastructure
- To assess current and projected water demands and efficiencies relative to distribution and application systems within the irrigation districts, offering district management analysis assistance to evaluate opportunities for water savings and irrigated area expansion.
- To develop and evaluate applications that better account for actual water use and consult with irrigation districts on managing limiting supplies of water.
- To ensure that rehabilitation and maintenance of irrigation district infrastructure is carried out in a sound, cost-effective manner and to assess the sustainability of capital investments in infrastructure.
- To assess the impacts of projected climate change and the opportunities for adaptation to potential increases in net irrigation water requirements.
Water quality
- Work with industry groups and research organizations to fund and evaluate technologies and management practices that will enhance environmentally sustainable agriculture operations.
- Monitor changes in soil and water quality to evaluate the effectiveness of beneficial management practices.
- Work with industry groups, researchers, and other agencies to support the development of soil phosphorus limits in Alberta.
Soil quality
- To determine and develop guidelines for safe management of animal waste in a nutrient management system.
- To maintain land classification standards that will encourage appropriate sustainable development.
Information packaging
- To develop effective information resources and products to support all Branch program functions and to better inform irrigation producers, water supply authorities, policy makers and the general public regarding the current status of development and management of irrigation in Alberta.
Operation Locations
- The head office of the Irrigation Branch is in Lethbridge, complemented by district offices in Taber, Bow Island and Brooks. The Branch operates within three unique function areas administered by the following Sections:
- Farm Irrigation Management
- Irrigation Development
- Resource Conservation
Irrigation Branch Head Office - Lethbridge
Farm Irrigation Management Section
The Farm Irrigation Management Section delivers programs through the Lethbridge head office and four district offices:
Lethbridge Office
Bow Island District Office
Brooks District Office
Lethbridge District Office
Irrigation Development Section
The following staff are located in the Lethbridge head office:
Water Management
Vacant
Water Management Engineer |
Monitoring
Irrigation Modeling
Information Resources
Climate Change Analysis
Resource Conservation Section
The following staff are located in the Lethbridge head office:
Nutrient Management
Irrigated Crop Development
Frank Hecker
Land Evaluation Specialist
Surface Water Quality
Irrigation Development Centre
Field Services
Soil and Water Assessment
Other Alberta Agriculture staff involved in irrigated crop production include:
Dr. Ross McKenzie , Sr. Research Scientist - Agronomy
The contents of this page are no longer available.
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Bob Winter.
This document is maintained by Deb Sutton.
This information published to the web on June 21, 2002.
Last Reviewed/Revised on January 21, 2008.
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