June 11, 2025: CANCID: Irrigation Water Quality Initiatives in Southern Alberta with Janelle Villeneuve
Time: June 11, 2025 – 12 PM Mountain
Speaker: Janelle Villeneuve, Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
Topic: Irrigation Water Quality Initiatives in Southern Alberta
Description:
Irrigation is essential for high agricultural production and crop diversity in semi-arid regions such as southern Alberta. With nearly 75% of Canada’s irrigation occurring in Alberta’s irrigation districts, the management and maintenance of irrigation water quality is highly important in this region. The Irrigation District Water Quality program, led by Alberta’s irrigation districts, has been evaluating the quality of irrigation water in southern Alberta since 2006, with program goals of maintaining or improving irrigation water quality, enabling proactivity to address water quality concerns and demonstrating stewardship of water resources. There are currently 72 sites monitored across nine irrigation districts. Evaluation of the program’s long-term dataset of nutrients, salinity, physical characteristics, Escherichia coli, and pesticides generally show improving or stable water quality trends. On a local scale, annual district-specific data is used to focus water and land management decisions and direct resources to priority areas and parameters to ensure excellent quality irrigation water for all users. Additionally, data collected for the Irrigation District Water Quality program has served as a foundation for many secondary projects that have addressed data gaps or areas of concern within irrigation districts. These include investigation of the effect of irrigation returns on river water quality, sources of nutrients in irrigation water to aid in the management of aquatic plants in canals, and the use of bioreactors for treatment of agricultural drainage water.
Webinar Series Information:
The Canadian Committee on Irrigation and Drainage is excited to announce their 2024/2025 webinar series, this is the fourth and final webinar as part of the CANCID Webinar Series.
