The Saskatchewan Irrigation Conference was held this week in Moose Jaw.
Warren Helgason, an Associate Professor in Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan told the group that based on current climate projections we are going to have a warmer climate.
He says that means more 30 degree days, which means agriculture is likely going to change; so it’s important to invest the time now to identify how reliable our water supplies are going to be in the future.
“Irrigation as a means to sort of alleviate that and secure sustainable food production is going to be an important thing I think. We've heard other people talk about what other areas in the world where declining groundwater resources example, you know, there are putting pressures on other food growing areas of the world. So we have an opportunity here, provided that we have a sustainable water supply system to grow a lot of that food.”
For years irrigators have been calling on the Federal and Provincial Government to invest in the industry.
The Province included the goal of expanding irrigation in their New Growth Plan identifying the need to support irrigation district infill development to add 85,000 new irrigation acres; as well as pursuing efforts to attract private sector investment for additional irrigation development.
Aaron Grey is Chair of the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association and is pleased with the news.
“We need some sort of major infrastructure project I'm assuming to somehow obtain 85,000 acres by 2030. So, the only projects I can foresee is potentially the Qu’Appelle South or the West side.”
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