Request for Support of Water Policy Changes

On behalf of Team Alberta Crops (TAC), we would like to share with you the policy input (included) that TAC and its member organizations have advanced through the Phase II Water Availability Engagement process undertaken by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas in 2025 and in subsequent discussions with government. These changes are important to crop producers across Alberta. They would support responsible water management while strengthening the long-term viability of our sector.

Team Alberta Crops represents Alberta’s crop and beekeeping sectors through seven producer organizations whose members steward more than 20 million cultivated acres across the province. Producers continue to face increasing
pressures related to excess moisture, variable weather conditions, and rising production costs. In this context, modernizing Alberta’s approach to agricultural water management remains one of the most important policy priorities for our sector.

TAC has consistently advocated for practical changes that would enable farmers to undertake low impact agricultural activities within ephemeral, temporary, and seasonal wetlands on private agricultural land without the requirement for Water Act approvals or wetland replacement obligations.

In our Phase II Water Engagement submission to government, we articulated producers’ concerns with the current regulatory framework. We also provided recommendations to reduce barriers to responsible water management while maintaining Alberta’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Specifically, TAC recommended revising the treatment of ephemeral, temporary, and seasonal wetlands on private agricultural land to allow farmers to undertake low impact agricultural activities without unnecessary approvals or wetland replacement requirements.

Since that submission, TAC and its member organizations have worked with Minister Grant Hunter and officials within the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas to advance these discussions. We appreciate the willingness of the Minister and department staff to engage with producers and better understand the practical realities facing farmers across Alberta.