Lorraine Nicol

Water Market Characteristics: Results from a Survey of Southern Alberta Irrigators

In Alberta the passage of the Water Act of 1999 and the Irrigation Districts Act of 2000 enabled water license holders to transfer water rights on a permanent basis and water allocations on a temporary basis, establishing the foundation for water markets. This study explores water market activity in southern Alberta, focusing on the temporary transfer of water allocations by the regions dominant water consumer: irrigators. Irrigators in the regions largest irrigation district were surveyed. It was found that the characteristics of the water market conform to characteristics of water markets elsewhere. Most notable is that the market provided flexibility to producers to manage water during times of water supply constraints and in so doing, enhanced water productivity and efficiency. However, water market activity in southern Alberta is very limited and will likely remain so under the current water management regime.

Economic instruments and irrigation water management – a comparative study of private and district irrigators in Alberta, Canada

Irrigation activity in Alberta accounts for 71% of consumptive use of surface water in the province. Pressures on water resources are acute and are expected to intensify. Alberta’s answer to its water problems is contained in the Water for Life strategy which aims for a 30% increase in water use efficiency and productivity and the implementation of economic instruments if necessary. Irrigators’ contribution towards this endeavour will be imperative. But the foundation of irrigation activity in Alberta is grounded in a private and irrigation district water management system that has resulted in the development of two very distinct irrigation groups. The differences in the production activity and water management practices between private and district irrigators are striking. This study attempts to identify these distinguishing characteristics relating specifically to the adoption of irrigation technology and management practices and ascertain the effect of economic instruments which Alberta, until recently, has largely avoided using.

Improved Technologies and Management Practices in Irrigation—Implications for Water Savings in Southern Alberta

Increased water use efficiency on irrigation farms is viewed as a source of water savings in semi-arid regions like southern Alberta where 71% of consumptive water use is for irrigation purposes. Alberta’s Water for Life strategy, the blueprint for long-term water planning, views increased water use efficiency as essential to improved water management. The present study examines the rate at which water use efficiencies have been, and plan to be increased by employing improved technologies and management practices. Findings from a survey of irrigators reveal that adopting improved technologies has been occurring at a decreasing rate and the rate is likely to continue to decrease in the future. The research indicates that the main reasons why irrigators adopt new technologies are to increase yield, and to save energy and labour costs, with saving water considered significantly less important. Reflecting that irrigators perceive financial constraints as one of the main impediments to invest in further improvements, our results indicate that the level of subsidies or commodity price increases required to convince them to make such investments are considerable. While further processing facilities in the area offer opportunities to grow specialty crops and thereby improve the financial position of irrigators, most specialty crops are high water users, not water savers. Improved water use efficiency could be advanced through greater promotion and education of improved water management practices.

Chapter 12Toward Sustainable Irrigation:Would Subsidizing Improve Technologies ResultIn Water Conservation In Alberta, Canada?

In semiarid southern Alberta where irrigation accounts for the majority of water consumed, improved effi ciency in this sector has been advocated as a means to reduce water use and increase availability to new users, including in-stream users. This chapter evaluates the importance of improved irrigation technologies and management practices in improving water use effi ciency and assessing whether subsidizing the improved technology is likely to reduce water use and promote more sustainable irrigation. The results fi nd that water savings do not necessarily translate into water conservation as the saved water can be used to intensify irrigation, resulting in reduced return river fl ows. However, subsidy programs linked to reduced irrigated areas, and thereby water conservation, might work in southern Alberta since the main driver of adoption is cost saving, quality improvement or increased yield while very little importance is placed on increasing the irrigated area.

Modelling the adoption of different types of irrigation water technology in Alberta, Canada.

This paper analyses farmers’ adoption of hard and soft technology in relation to irrigation technologies, production changes and water management changes in Alberta, Canada. Greater significance was found in modelling the adoption of hard technology (such as irrigation infrastructure technologies) than modelling the adoption of soft technology (water management or irrigation area changes). Overall, some of the most important influences include farm size, irrigation technology, off-farm income and being a member of an irrigation district. Few socio-economic variables were found to be important. Adoption of soft technology most likely leads to greater water efficiencies and in the future greater attention should be paid to a wider variety of factors and influences in order to model water management and trading behaviour.

Path Dependence And Critical Junctures:An Urban-rural Water Sharing Study

Path dependence and critical junctures theory has evolved from first aiming to capture specific economic phenomena to explaining a host of social phenomena across a wide variety of disciplines. At this early stage in a planned research program, this paper will provide a literature review of path dependence and critical junctures. The subsequent study will focus on the history of urban-rural tension in the Calgary, Alberta region of Canada and the recent partnership that seeks to chart a new trajectory, which includes a vital water-sharing component. Paying particular attention to the potential access to water, the study will seek to determine whether powerful actors can vanquish an acrimonious path dependent past and carve out a new trajectory through what may potentially be a critical juncture.