EARLY IRRIGATED FARMING

Irrigation is a key factor in the agricultural economy of western Canada. When explored in 1857, this area was described as an arid desert. It was not until the 1930s that the federal and provincial governments attempted to rebuild western farming by developing irrigation systems. Initially, the federal government was hesitant to undertake irrigation projects in Western Canada. It was feared that the publicity such a program would generate might lead prospective immigrants to avoid the area, in the belief that the Prairies were an arid wasteland. By the early 1890's, however, a prolonged drought in the West was threatening to drive settlers from their lands. Ottawa reversed its earlier stand and began drafting appropriate legislation. This resulted in the Northwest Irrigation Act of 1894.

Some small private irrigation developments had occurred prior to this date and proved the benefits of irrigation, but their financial stability was short-lived. High construction costs and recurring wet years, when farmers refused to pay water rentals, forced the small companies into bankruptcy and convinced the government that irrigation could best be undertaken by major corporations such as railway companies.

Prior to the passing of the Irrigation Act there was no law regulating the use of water for irrigation. Anyone who wished took from the nearest stream what he required, or thought he required, without permission and without making any record of the quantity taken. As settlement advanced, the attention of the government was drawn to the confusion that was certain to result as this practice became more general. In response, the act suppressed all riparian rights in streams whose waters could be used for irrigation and insured centralized control and regulation of subsequent water use.

Under the act all surface waters, not already acquired by the Act of Parliament, were declared to be the property of the Crown. The right to use this water could be obtained by companies or individuals, upon compliance with the provisions of the law. The rights to water usage were given three priorities:

Within each of the above three categories, applications for use were granted on a priority basis, depending on date of application. Rights were granted for perpetuity, except in the case of abandonment, waste or non-use, when the rights would be immediately forfeited to the Crown. Each license was to be met in full before others were considered. None were to be issued where there was a danger of overtaxing the stream or where future domestic needs might be in jeopardy.

Early scenes showing plowing on lands for irrigationIn order to insure a proper division and licensing of the waters, it was necessary to determine present and future needs, as well as the ability of the water supplies to serve these requirements. Hence the Irrigation Act provided for an Irrigation Branch to undertake an extensive inventory of all useable water supplies in the West and to locate all lands within the Territories that could benefit from and were capable of irrigation. As a result, extensive irrigation surveys were carried out by engineers under the Department of the Interior. Many of the projects now in operation on the Prairies were developed from these early surveys.

The earliest diversion and distribution of irrigation water on a major scale was undertaken by private entrepreneurs and railway companies in Alberta. These investments were made based on the expectation of increased production from irrigated lands. However, in most instances, government assistance was requested when it was found that the revenue from water users did not make their irrigation projects a profit-making enterprise.

Consequently, the provincial governments passed legislation which provided for the organization of irrigation districts composed of water users themselves. The users were to assume responsibility for project works, and with government assistance, were to provide equitable distribution of water and maintenance and replacement of structures, all at the lowest possible cost.

The growth of irrigation was very slow during the period of World War I. Following this, a number of wet years resulted in the financial status of irrigation districts becoming very precarious, as many farmers would not pay their water charges. Thus, it became necessary for government authorities to enter the irrigation field to provide public funds for the maintenance of irrigation works.

In 1930, the federal government turned its interests in all natural resources over to the provinces. The provinces then became responsible for the regulation of water within their own boundaries and established legislation to provide such control. The federal government retained jurisdiction in matters of navigation, fisheries, international treaties governing watersheds astride the International Boundary and, to some extent limited by special agreement, works extending beyond the limits of one province or providing benefits to more than one province.

Although the allocation and development of prairie water resources for irrigation was already well advanced at that time, government surveys for additional storage dams and reservoirs were undertaken, as hydrographic data procured over a number of years confirmed the capability of prairie rivers to serve additional lands.

It was fortunate that this was done because the problems of the next decade, known as the "Dirty Thirties", staggered both provincial and federal governments. At this time, the Prairies experienced the most severe and prolonged drought since the beginning of settlement. The drought, combined with a world-wide economic depression, caused grain farmers throughout much of the Prairies to become dependent on others for even the barest necessities of life. They were forced to accept relief to procure seed, feed, fuel, food and clothing to sustain their farms and families.

In the mid-1930s, the federal government undertook to help rehabilitate the prairie agricultural economy. As part of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) mandate to enhance and stabilize the agricultural economy, including resettlement of farmers from marginal lands, PFRA became very active in irrigation development on the prairies, particularly in cooperation with the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Since 1935, the federal government has provided financial, technical and management inputs through PFRA, normally in partnerships with respective provinces, in expanding development of irrigation projects. Ownership and operation of such works has typically been turned over to the provinces, sometimes after a period of federal operation.

Irrigated land contrasts sharply with arid areas

Early irrigated farming

Early prairie farming was mostly dryland farming. Introducing irrigation to a dryland farming area raised questions as to which crops could be grown and which new farming methods would be adopted. To provide such information, the Canada Department of Agriculture established a Pre-Development Farm in 1949 near the town of Outlook, Saskatchewan. The purpose was to assess irrigation practices that were accepted in other Prairie regions and to develop modifications more suitable for local conditions. Irrigation farming techniques were demonstrated and information was provided on the production potential of various crops. All programs offered at the Demonstration Farm were carried out in cooperation with the provincial government, university, industry agencies and various research institutions. Operation and management of the farm was undertaken by PFRA and the research program by the Experimental Farm, Swift Current.

Some of the early efforts which helped to increase knowledge of irrigation farming include:

Through this type of program, farm staff demonstrated which crops and types of irrigation options were available when switching from a dryland farming to irrigation.

The pre-development farm helped to establish certain basic principles with respect to irrigation farming in the Saskatchewan area. Of these, some of the more important include:

Records were kept at the pre-development farm to track the cost of particular operations. Usually, returns were measured in terms of production units. In this form, the information was given to the farmer and interpreted in relation to his farming enterprise and according to the monetary return he considered reasonable.

The pre-development farm at Outlook was renamed the PFRA Demonstration Farm in 1967 and then changed to Saskatchewan Irrigation Development Centre in 1986. In 1998, it was renamed the Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre (CSIDC).

Today, irrigation continues to play an important role in the development of Western Canada. Developed irrigated area is estimated at 755,000 hectares of which 65% is in Alberta, 16% in Saskatchewan, 16% in Britsih Columbia and 3% in Manitoba. Irrigation and demonstration technical centres such as Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation & Diversification Center (CSIDC) and Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre (MCDC) continue to play a key role in promoting sustainable practices. The programs offered at these centres help maximize the benefits of their irrigation operations through improved on-farm techniques, and the development of improved, marketable crops.



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