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Rivers-area irrigation licence appealed

By: Bill Redekop

Monday, Sep. 10, 2012 at 8:43 AM | Comments: 2

Manitoba Conservation has issued an environmental licence for an irrigation project on Little Saskatchewan River without completing an in-stream flow study, an opponent of the project says.

The provincial government is allowing a group of farms to draw 2,600 acre feet per year of water -- the equivalent of filling four square miles of land with a foot of water -- before knowing the river's capacity, said Ruth Pryzner, a mixed livestock producer near Rivers, northwest of Brandon.

Manitoba Conservation is not expected to complete its study of the Little Saskatchewan for another 18 months. The river is No. 2 on the province's priority list for an in-stream flow study -- the Assiniboine River is No. 1 -- because it is used so much.

"Some people say (the Little Saskatchewan) is already over allocated," Pryzner said.

Nine people, including Pryzner, have filed appeals of Manitoba Conservation's decision, handed down in July. The Little Saskatchewan Conservation District also wants to see an in-stream flow study completed but is not taking a position on the irrigation project.

The Little Saskatchewan already has three dams. It also provides drinking water for the Town of Rivers, water for livestock and some smaller irrigation projects and acts as a repository for waste water from the Husky ethanol plant in Minnedosa and three towns.

The Little Saskatchewan starts in Riding Mountain and empties into the Assiniboine just west of Brandon. The irrigation project is just south of Rivers, on a stretch where rafting has become popular in spring and early summer, said Pryzner. The river is also a favourite canoe route in spring.

The group behind the irrigation project is the Daly Irrigation Development Group, made up of Mazergroup Ltd.-owned Sundance Farms, Ed Waldner, Don Loewen, Ray Redfern and Keywest Farms. They plan to irrigate potatoes, soybeans and cereal crops.

They're using the licence to fill 31 irrigation pivots -- long lines of irrigation equipment that rotate in a circle. Each pivot will irrigate 130 acres.

Ray Redfern, president of Redfern Farm Services in Brandon, said the farmers hired Stantec Consulting to provide the science and meet the environmental demands of the province.

A spokesman with Manitoba Conservation said the Daly group went "above and beyond" requirements to obtain environmental approval. Manitoba Conservation also said there are provisions to adjust how much water the group can extract once the in-stream flow study is completed.

The licence comes with conditions, including requiring the group to install a gauge to measure river flow and a device to provide daily photographs of rippling on the river, from which the province can determine whether oxygen is being replenished.

The province has guaranteed the Town of Rivers the irrigation project will not draw down Lake Wahtopanah, the town's reservoir, in dry years.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca

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Posted by:JOHN FEFCHAK

September 10, 2012 at 10:07 AM

I don’t think that the Conservation Minister spent very much time looking at the appeals and WHY the Little Saskatchewan River should be given a reprieve, at least until an in-flow study was carried out.

How many filed appeals would it take, as apparently nine was not enough.?

This was a “done deal” from it’s plan and early conception. The issuing of a license was only a formality.
Pipeline Infrastructure was being put in place a year or more ago, according to eye witness reports.
What does that indicate….to you?

And the Premier has left for a ten day trip to China…..as he didn’t want to get involved in any backlash

This is just ONE more example of how the province does business. Water continually gets trumped by economics.

Manitoba’s Governor General released a negative report several years ago on how the Province randomly issues water licenses. Perhaps the appropriate department and Minister have not taken the time to read it,as yet.

And that said, I do not believe "above and beyond requirements” were taken to obtain environmental approval.
Lets face the fact: The Public Interest and the Interest of the Little Saskatchewan River have been abandoned by
the province.

Posted by:JOHN FEFCHAK

September 10, 2012 at 9:27 AM

I don’t think that the Conservation Minister spent very much time looking at the appeals and WHY the Little Saskatchewan River should be given a reprieve, at least until an in-flow study was carried out. This was a “done deal” from it’s plan and early conception. The issuing of a license was only a formality. Pipeline Infrastructure was being put in place a year or more ago, according to eye witness reports. What does that indicate….to you? And the Premier has left for a ten day trip to China…..as he didn’t want to get involved in any backlash. This is just ONE more example of how the province does business. Water gets trumped by economics. Manitoba’s Governor General released a negative report several years ago on how the Province randomly issues water licenses. Perhaps the appropriate department and Minister have not taken the time to read it,as yet. And that said, I do not believe "above and beyond requirements” were taken to obtain environmental approval. The Public Interest and the Interest of the Little Saskatchewan River have been abandoned.

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