In Winter of 2023 we brought you an article on the irrigation improvements issue in Alberta. This was shortly after finding out that the Alberta Irrigation Modernization Program (AIM) was launched. Following is an update on the progress of this program.
The program is the largest irrigation initiative in provincial history. Funded by an $815 million partnership (Canada Infrastructure Bank, provincial government, irrigation districts), it aims to convert open canals to pipelines, build new reservoirs, and add up to 230,000 irrigated acres – all while maintaining or reducing water use.
Unfortunately this initiative is having an impact on edge habitat. Canals are beacons for wildlife, and essential in areas where habitat is scarce. All sorts of plants, insects and wildlife rely on the water running through these areas. The ‘improvements’ slated for 278 kilometres of canals amount to lining the open canals with concrete or replacing them with pipelines, eliminating pheasant, other wildlife, and pollinator habitat.
Water loss in these irrigations systems is primarily the result of evaporation and seepage. And with a limited supply of available water, one of the ways to expand irrigation is to improve the current system’s efficiency. Given a burgeoning world population to feed, it’s difficult to argue against improving water efficiency, especially when your argument is focused on maintaining habitat for ring-necked pheasants.
Since 2022, successive budgets have allocated ~$19 million annually toward installation and rehabilitation of pipelines, canal armouring, culvert upgrades, and spillway repairs. Some of these are crucial improvements such as the Bow River BD‑2 pipelines and Chin Chute upgrades for St. Mary River Irrigation District.
As of February 2025, province-wide modernization efforts span 11 irrigation districts, upgrading canals to pipelines, inserting water controls, and investigating off-stream storage impacting over 8,000 km of delivery infrastructure.
Pipeline conversion cuts seepage and evaporation, enabling more irrigated acreage from the same water budget. In addition irrigated agricultural production now contributes roughly $5 billion annually to Alberta’s GDP, supports 46,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and yields 8 times more revenue per hectare than dryland farming. This infrastructure has also attracted food processing investment including McCain Foods’ $600 million expansion near Coaldale which was catalyzed by assurance from the Chin Reservoir enhancement.
By 2028 the plan is to have pipeline/canal upgrades completed across multiple districts and completion of new off-stream reservoirs (Eyremore Dam near Brooks and the Chin expansion).
Southern Alberta’s irrigation expansion over the last three years has been transformative—modernizing delivery systems, enabling economic growth, and securing water resilience amid intensifying drought. Yet, concerns from environmental advocates underscore the need for ecological oversight, ecosystem-friendly water allocations, and inclusive stakeholder input.
Pheasants Forever is always working to have a seat at the table when it comes to conserving habitat for upland game birds and other wildlife.
By working together we hope to minimize the loss of native grassland and critical edge habitats in Southern Alberta.