Are Southern Alberta farmers and ranchers worried about the low snowpack?
Some might be but the provincial government isn't too worried as it's still early in the spring run-off and snow melt.
RJ Sigurdson, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, released a statement addressing some concerns.
"It’s still early in the year, and while our colleagues at Environment and Protected Areas are actively monitoring the snowpack, it would be premature to talk about the type of irrigation season we might have ahead.
Currently, the majority of the reservoirs in Southern Alberta are at or below normal levels for this time of year. That said, snowpack observations from November through to April/May are an initial indication of water supply for the current year, and the impacts to the Alberta system won’t be fully understood until snow melt and June precipitation are complete.
We will continue to monitor water supply forecasts and optimize storage in provincial reservoirs as run off continues. Alberta’s government understands that water is essential for the agriculture industry to thrive, which is why we're expanding and modernizing Alberta's irrigation network to position our ag sector for success. We also have business risk management programs in place to help farmers and ranchers, if needed."
In January of 2024 the provincial government was more worried about the possible drought the province never did see however some of the irrigation upgrades have been made since then.