By Jim Smalley
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency has announced significant funding for irrigation projects this year.
The Water Security Agency has launched the initial funding for the ten year, $4-billion Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Expansion Project.
Communiciations manager Ron Podbielski says this years budget includes $18.9-million for the Westside Irrigation Project, phase one of the multi-year multi-billion dollar Lake Diefenbaker project.
The irrigation project is expected to take a decade and double the amount of land for irrigation to 500,000 acres.
The Lake Diefenbaker initiative is the largest infrastructure project in Saskatchewan history.
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency operates 72 dams, 130 conveyance channels, and regulates hundreds of waterworks and wastewater projects across the province.
The budget’s focus, she said in an embargoed news conference Tuesday morning, is on protecting the “health and public safety of Saskatchewan people and the province s economy in the fight against COVID-19,” while making “record investments in health care, education, social services, and the protection of people and property.” This budget “will protect Saskatchewan people through the pandemic, as more vaccines are delivered and life begins to return to normal, Harpauer said in speaking to reporters in an embargoed news conference Tuesday. This budget will build Saskatchewan by investing in new long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, highways and vital municipal infrastructure. And as our province and our economy emerges from the pandemic, this budget will grow Saskatchewan through incentives and key investments, while keeping life affordable for families.
By Jim Smalley
The provincial budget has a 23 million dollar increase in the agriculture ministry this year.
The 387 million dollar budget is 6 percent higher than last year.
The budget includes a 20.6 million dollar increase for business risk management programs like agristability and crop insurance.
Business risk funding totals 265 million dollars, including record coverage of 273 dollars an acre in crop insurance.
The 150 million dollar crop insurance program has an additional 11 million dollars with additional options for tame hay, native forage establishment benefit coverage, the introduction of the Commercial vegetable pilot program and increases to establishment benefit values for canola, lentils, chickpeas and corn.
The Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) is adding its voice of concern about the proposed $4 billion Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation project. It will encompass a half-million-acre crescent of land running from the west and southwest of Saskatoon through to the northeast of Regina.
First Nations leaders say there has yet to be meaningful dialogue with the province on the three-phase project announced in July, 2020. Meanwhile, the government says it will follow the Duty to Consult, which is expected to start soon.
First Nations want detailed analysis
As part of a media release issued this week, PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said an analysis of how the project may further impact the whole Saskatchewan River delta needs to be undertaken. He said upstream dams had already altered and threatened biodiversity upstream.
By Jim Smalley
The Saskatchewan government says Regina-based Clifton Associates has been selected to begin engineering work on the multi-billion dollar Diefenbaker Expansion Project.
Clifton’s work will encompass the Westside Irrigation Project with overall engineering preliminary design for Phases 1 and 2.
This work is expected to take 12 to 18 months, which will include geotechnical, soil suitability, environmental consulting and consultations with First Nations and other stakeholders.
The Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Expansion project was announced last summer and includes expansion of the
Westside Irrigation canal system, increasing potential irrigated land in Saskatchewan by 80 thousand acres.
Phase two will further expand the Westside Irrigation project, adding 260 thousand acres of irrigable land.