History of Irrigation Districts
The St. Mary Irrigation District (S.M.R.I.D.)

The St. Mary River is the source for major irrigation activities in southern Alberta. An international stream, it is thus subject to special agreement between Canada and the United States.

In 1882, Sir Alexander Galt established a British-based mining firm, the North Western Coal and Navigation Company (N.W.C. & N. Co.), to work the coal seams at Coal Banks (present-day Lethbridge). The establishment of this colliery to exploit these vast coal deposits was considered a potentially lucrative enterprise, because the envisioned flood of settlers into the Prairies was expected to be accompanied by extensive railway and industrial development.

It was the intention of the company to build a railway to transport the coal to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) main line at Medicine Hat, but the general economic depression of the mid-1880's hampered financing and the firm sought government assistance. The Federal Land Act was then amended to grant the company a land subsidy of 965 hectares per kilometre of track constructed. This 177 kilometre long narrow-gauge railway was completed in 1885. They were then granted a further 644 hectare-per-kilometre land subsidy to widen the line to standard gauge, for a total of 284,900 hectares.

During the 1880's, these land grants were utilized for large ranching operations, as it was difficult because of the prolonged drought conditions to sell the lands to settlers. In order to find buyers it was concluded that irrigated agriculture would have to be introduced into the area. This process began in 1886, when C.A. Card, a Mormon leader and successful irrigation farmer from Logan, Utah, selected lands near the junction of Lee's Creek and the St. Mary River for a new settlement. Subsequently, the Mormons purchased 3,920 hectares at $3.10 per hectare from the N.W.C. & N. Co. They recognized the feasibility of utilizing the many rivers of southern Alberta to overcome its deficiency in rainfall because of their extensive experience in applying water to semi-arid soils in Utah.

The Mormon church leaders became so impressed with the progress made by the new colony that they agreed to rent from the A.R. & C. Co., 291,400 hectares of land for five cents per hectare annually. After four years they were to buy it for $2.50 per hectare. The Mormon church promised to build several hamlets, bring in settlers, and have them provide the labor to construct irrigation canals.

To finance the irrigation works and carry out this project, the Alberta Irrigation Company (A.I. Co.), a joint venture between the Galt companies and the Mormons, was incorporated in 1893. In effect, the Mormons had agreed to purchase and develop nearly 75 per cent of the entire A.R. & C. Co.'s land grant, but refused to solely assume the entire financial burden. As well, because of the prevailing economic depression, the Galt companies were unable to raise sufficient capital. Hence, the agreement was cancelled and the irrigation project postponed pending government assistance.

William Pearce, as Superintendent of Mines for the federal government, was broadly in charge of western settlement. An ardent advocate of western resource development, he firmly believed that the foremost problem in Western Canada, the irregularity of rainfall, could be remedied through irrigation. Largely through his efforts the Northwest Irrigation Act was passed in 1894.

Under this legislation, government survey crews drew up plans for the construction of irrigation works which would service lands settled by the Mormons, by diverting water from the St. Mary River. Construction was started in 1898. The 10,100 hectares of irrigated land were in two large tracts with their centers 32 and 56 kilometres from Lethbridge. To finance and undertake this construction work, the Alberta Irrigation Company was reorganized in 1896 with a capital stock of $1 million under the name Canadian North-West Irrigation Company (C.N.W.I. Co.).

In 1900, the 185 kilometre, 14.2-cubicmetre-per-second canal system was completed. From a point on the St. Mary River near the International Boundary, it angled northeastward to the present-day town of Magrath, with two branches terminating near Stirling (35 kilometres) and Lethbridge (51 kilometres). In order to provide easy access to irrigated lands, the Galts incorporated the St. Mary River Railway Company and constructed a 76 kilometre railway between Stirling and Cardston which was completed in 1902.

By bringing water to these semi-arid lands, the C.N.W.I. Co. had completed the first major irrigation project on the Prairies and transformed their properties from dry short-grass plains to attractive, fertile farm lands whose high yields increased their value. With the excellent results of their initial project, the C.N.W.I. Co. began the work of expansion. In 1902 they purchased 202,400 hectares of land adjacent to their original consolidated holdings south of Lethbridge for $7.50 per hectare.

To finance the cost of expanded irrigation works the C.N.W.I. Co., the A.R. & C. Co. and the St. Mary R.R. Co. were merged to form the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company (A.R. & I. Co.) in 1904. The main canal from the St. Mary River was enlarged to carry 34 cubic metres per second and the network of canals and laterals extended to total 467 kilometres. By 1911 about 19,000 hectares were irrigated by 750 farmers after more than $1 .5 million had been spent on new construction work. Early in 1912, control of the A.R. & I. Co. was acquired by the CPR which was itself actively engaged in irrigation elsewhere in southern Alberta.

Subsequently, theCPR entered into agreements with three irrigation districts (Taber, Raymond, and Magrath) for the delivery of water, so that by 1942 four differently governed projects were receiving water from the works constructed by the A.R. & I. Co. The irrigable areas within them were as follows:

According to available information, the capital expenditure to irrigate the above lands was approximately $52 per hectare.

Although the CPR operation of the project was quite successful, the absence of preventative maintenance resulted in the obsolescence of the capital works. Consequently, in 1946, the Alberta government agreed to accept the transfer of the project from the CPR along with $100,000 in cash, and formed a crown corporation to administer the St. Mary and Milk River Development districts (S.M.R.D.). This later became an irrigation district with the enactment of the Irrigation Act in 1968.

Due to the lack of storage on the St. Mary system, water users frequently suffered heavy losses through water shortages during low flow periods. As well, they were limited during flood stages to utilizing only 34 cubic metres per second of the flow capacity of the main canal. It was evident that if a storage reservoir were constructed it would eliminate the shortages and permit enlargement of the irrigated area and thereby Canada could utilize more than 45 per cent of its share of the flow of this international stream.

In 1948 construction of the St. Mary Dam was started. However, it was not until 1950 that the agreement was signed between the Province and Canada, wherein it was agreed that the federal government would construct and operate the St. Mary and Ridge reservoirs and connecting main canals. It was later agreed that the federal government would construct an operate the Waterton Dam and the canal connecting the Waterton and Belly Rivers with the St. Mary reservoir. The Province agreed to construct the remaining main canal, reservoirs and distribution system; bear the deficit of operation and maintenance during the development period; and absorb the cost of colonization, land settlement and agricultural services. By agreement, PFRA designed and supervised the construction of these works, which were paid for by the Province.

The main canal was not completed until 1954 and progress in settlement was initially slow. By 1958, the project expansion achieved totalled approximately 5,830 hectares. With these additional facilities, the lands irrigated have been expanded and, -in 1979, over 100,770 hectares were irrigated. However, because of a limited water supply in the system, a moratorium was imposed in 1974 on the development of any further irrigated land downstream of Chin Reservoir.

The S.M.R.D. administered the projects and purchased water from PFRA, which constructed and operated the headworks of the respective systems. In 1973, under the terms of the Canada-Alberta Irrigation Rehabilitation Agreement, Canada's interest in the project was transferred to the Province of Alberta. The main canal works from Waterton to Ridge Reservoir are owned and operated by Alberta Environment; and all works downstream from Ridge Reservoir are the responsibility of the St. Mary River Irrigation District. Present Project Description

The S.M.R.I.D. comprise three principal blocks of land: a western block in the Lethbridge area; a central block in the Burdett-Bow Island area; and an eastern block in the Medicine Hat area. The western block is located below the Milk River Ridge Reservoir and obtains water from a turn-out on the St. Mary system main canal. The main lateral canal traverses the block from south to north. The central and eastern blocks are located downstream from Chin Reservoir. Water is supplied to the central block from turnouts on the main canal and from the Grassy Lake and Yellow Lake reservoirs, while the eastern block obtains water from the main canal and the Murray Lake and Seven Persons Lake reservoirs.