|
LNID News - March 19, 2024 NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: MARCH 19, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 3,700m (99%) • 3,610m of RPE liner in place (97%) • 3,200m of gravel armour fully placed (86%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 20m of gravel armour (total of 3,720m excavated by March 22nd) • Install 110m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 3,720m installed by March 22nd) • Place 520m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 3,720m installed by March 22nd) • Piezometer installation (all additional piezometers installed by March 18th) • Modification of existing siphon (completion by March 22nd) • Removal of the cofferdam (Completion by March 28th) • DD plans to start the toe berm/back slope clean up work beginning on March 25th. This includes final site clean up and restoration work. Work of the project remaining: • All in canal works (armour, liner sand, etc.) • Topsoil Placement/Seeding/Remediation • Toe berm/backslope cleanup • Site Clean Up • Placing road gravel on canal bank roads • Restoring the access roads • Demobilization • Weed Control Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of March 19th, 2024; the Oldman Dam is at 31% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir is at 84% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: MARCH 11, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 3,600m (97%) • 3,580m of RPE liner in place (96%) • 3,150m of gravel armour fully placed (85%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 120m of gravel armour (total of 3,720m excavated by March 21st) • Install 140m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 3,720m installed by March 21st) • Place 570m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 3,720m installed by March 21st) • Piezometer installation (potential March 13th-15th) • Modification of existing siphon Work of the project remaining: • All in canal works (armour, liner sand, etc.) • Topsoil Placement/Seeding/Remediation • Toe berm/backslope cleanup • Site Clean Up • Placing road gravel on canal bank roads • Restoring the access roads • Demobilization • Weed Control Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of March 11th, 2024; the Oldman Dam is at 31% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir is at 84% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: MARCH 1, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 3,450m (93%) • 3,070m of RPE liner in place (83%) • 3,000m of gravel armour fully placed (81%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 270m of gravel armour (total of 3,720m excavated by March 14th) • Install 430m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 3,500m installed by March 14th) • Place 400m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 3,400m installed by March 14th) Work of the project remaining: • All in canal works (armour, liner sand, etc.) • Modification of existing siphon • Topsoil Placement/Seeding/Remediation • Site Clean Up • Placing road gravel on canal bank roads • Restoring the access roads • Demobilization • Weed Control Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of March 1st, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 30% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 84% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: FEBRUARY 26, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 3,300m (89%) • 2,980m of RPE liner in place (80%) • 2,760m of gravel armour fully placed (74%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 420m of gravel armour (total of 3,720m excavated by March 7th) • Install 520m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 3,500m installed by March 7th) • Place 240m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 3,000m installed by March 7th) Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of February 26th, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 30% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 84% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: FEBRUARY 12, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 2,700m (73%) • 2,600m of RPE liner in place (70%) • 2,300m of gravel armour fully placed (62%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 400m of gravel armour (total of 3,100m excavated by February 22nd) • Install 400m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 3,000m installed by February 22nd) • Place 400m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 2,700m installed by February 22nd) Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of February 12th, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 29% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 83% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: FEBRUARY 2, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 2,325m (63%) • 2,038m of RPE liner in place (55%) • 1,885m of gravel armour fully placed (51%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 575m of gravel armour (total of 2,900m excavated by February 16) • Install 462m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 2,500m installed by February 16) • Place 615m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 2,500m installed by February 16) Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of February 2, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 29% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 83% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: JANUARY 29, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 1,660m (45%) • 1,510m of RPE liner in place (41%) • 1,410m of gravel armour fully placed (40%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 940m of gravel armour (total of 2,600m excavated by February 9th) • Install 690m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 2,200m installed by February 9th) • Place 790m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 2,200m installed by February 9th) Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of January 29th, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 28% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 83% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: JANUARY 22, 2024 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 1,470m (39%) • 1,090m of RPE liner in place (29%) • 1,080m of gravel armour fully placed (29%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 1,000m of gravel armour (total of 2,470m excavated by February 1st) • Install 980m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 2,070m installed by February 1st) • Place 980m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 2,060m installed by February 1st) Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of January 22nd, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 28% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 83% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: JANUARY 12, 2024 RE: ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIR The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: Work to date: • Total excavation of existing gravel armour completed is 1,255m (34%) • 1,030m of RPE liner in place (28%) • 1,020m of gravel armour fully placed (27%) Work over the next two weeks: • Hauling gravel armour, sand, and removing gravel armour and liner from site • Excavate another 880m of gravel armour (total of 2,470m excavated by January 25th) • Install 1,050m of RPE liner and geotextile (total of 2,070m installed by January 25th) • Place 1,050m of gravel armour layer on top of the liner (total of 2,070m installed by January 25th) Milestone dates: • Substantial Completion – March 31st, 2024 (complete all in-canal work) • Total Completion – May 31st, 2024 (complete all work of the project) An update on the water storage as of January 8th, 2024 is the Oldman Dam was at 28% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 82% of FSL. Board of Directors NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS: DECEMBER 11, 2023 RE: ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & iRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIR The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: 1. Construction crews have moved onto the Lethbridge Northern Headworks site to begin repairs to the canal. 2. The government aims to complete repairs by spring 2024, in time for the upcoming irrigation season. 3. The government will continue to communicate and share updates during repairs. The Board of Directors has recently participated in a meeting with Alberta Environment & Protected Areas about planning for possible drought conditions for the 2024 irrigation season. The LNID is in need of a good winter snow pack in the mountains along with timely rains in the spring and summer of 2024. All District landowners should plan their crops accordingly for the possibility of not receiving a full allocation of water per irrigation acre in 2024. At this point in time, it is too early to tell what the allocation in inches of water per irrigation acre will be. An update on the water storage as of December 11th is the Oldman Dam was at 27% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 83% of FSL. Board of Directors PAYMENT INFORMATION FOR THE LNID 2023 IRRIGATION SEASON All LNID invoices must be paid by December 31, 2023, to avoid the 8% January 1, 2024 Penalty. Payment options are as follows: Cash, Cheque, E-Transfer to ar@lnid.ca or Online Banking Cheque Payments received must be postmarked by December 31, 2023: In Person: Office Hours are 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday with the exception of Statutory Holidays. Postdated Cheques: Cheques may be postdated for the due date and mailed in advance to the LNID, the LNID will hold the cheque(s) and then process on the date they are postdated. LNID Mailbox: Cheques may be left in the secure mailbox located on the post in the outside entryway of the LNID office. Standard Mail: Cheques may be mailed, however, the envelope must be postmarked by December 31, 2023. IMPORTANT: If you are close to the payment due deadline, please go into your post office and request that they manually postmark your envelope, prior to it going to Calgary for sorting, this will ensure the date the payment was mailed. Online payments can be made through one of the following institutions: ATB Financial BMO Bank of Montreal CIBC Scotiabank RBC Royal Bank TD Canada Trust All credit unions Account Number: Your account number is the (5) five digit number located in the upper right corner of your Invoice. Please Note: For E-Transfer payments, please include your account number(s). Please contact the LNID office with any questions or if you require further clarification required. NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS NOVEMBER 17, 2023 The Board has received the following update information with respect to the Main Canal Repair: 1) The government has awarded a contract for the repairs of the Lethbridge Northern Headworks and hopes to begin construction in early December, 2023. 2) Dennis Dirtworx will return to complete repairs on the canal. They were contracted last year to complete repairs and are familiar with the project. 3) The government anticipates full completion of the Main Canal repairs in late spring 2024, in time for the 2024 growing season. 4) The government continues to engage with the Piikani Nation on this project. An update on the water storage as of November 14th is the Oldman Dam was at 26% of full supply level (FSL) and Keho Reservoir was at 83% of FSL. NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 The Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) Main Canal flow is currently at 13.0 cms (460 cfs). The canal flow will continue to be reviewed daily and will be adjusted as irrigation demand changes. The water orders for today totals 17.4 cms (615 cfs), which results in a net decrease to Keho Reservoir, currently at 82.63% full supply level (FSL). It is expected that the current demand will not change much over the next week. The Oldman Dam is currently at 29.38% of its storage capacity. The Board is encouraging all water users to keep their reservoir full and use the limited supply of water wisely and not waste any. The water shut-off date is Friday, October 6th, subject to cold weather conditions and water availability. Colder weather has been forecast for next week which may require shutting down pipelines earlier to protect the District’s infrastructure. Please plan your remaining water use accordingly. Please conduct fall operations with a spirit of water conservation and consider minimizing post-harvest irrigation for unseeded acres and discretionary water use, as well as other water-saving techniques. PAYMENT INFORMATION FOR THE LNID 2023 IRRIGATION SEASON 2023 Summary of Combined Assessment (Irrigation) & Billing Notices are mailed September 29, 2023 2.5% Irrigation Discount Applicable to Cimbined Assessment(s) (Irrigation) & Billing Notices (Irrigation Acres): To recieve the discount on qualifying current year assessments, payments must be recieved by Tuesday, October 31, 2023. All LNID invoices must be paid by Tuesday, December 31, 2023, to avoid the 8% January 1, 2023 Penalty. Payment options are a follows: Cash, Cheque, e-transfer to ar@lnid.ca or Online Banking;
IMPORTANT: If you are close to the payment due deadline, please go into your post office and request that they manually postmark your envelope, prior to it going to Calgary for sorting, this will ensure the date the payment was mailed.
Please Note: Recepts will no longer be provided unless the payment is made in cash or requested. Please contact the LNID office with any questions or clarification required. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) reduced the flow in the AA&I Main Canal to 17.0 cms (600 cfs) on August 22nd, to 14.0 cms (495 cfs) on August 23rd, and to 10 cms (355 cfs) on August 31st, which has helped to retain more water in the Oldman Dam. The canal flow will continue to be reviewed weekly and will be adjusted as irrigation demand changes. The water orders for today totals 16.3 cms (575 cfs), which results in a net decrease to Keho Reservoir, currently at 94.5% full supply level (FSL). It is expected that the current demand will not change much over the next week. The Oldman Dam is currently at 36% of its storage capacity. The Board is encouraging all water users to keep their reservoir full and use the limited supply of water wisely and not waste any. The water shut-off date is Friday, October 6th, subject to cold weather conditions and water availability, which may necessitate an earlier shut-down. The Board have met with Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation who have provided the Board with the following statements: 1. Below average snowmelt this spring and hot dry conditions this growing season have led to lower-than-normal water supplies in the provincial headwater reservoirs this autumn. While it appears we will be able to complete the 2023 irrigation season without significant detriment, the situation could become more dire for the 2024 season if we do not receive a normal volume of spring snowmelt. 2. Please conduct fall operations with a spirit of water conservation. For example, please consider minimizing post-harvest irrigation for unseeded acres and discretionary water use, as well as other water-saving techniques. 3. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) is working out a detailed plan to optimize our situation regardless of spring weather outcomes. They are organizing meetings over the coming fall and winter to discuss options for next season. 4. The process to pre-qualify vendors for the repair of the headworks canal has commenced, and is expected to be advertised in the next week. Following this, the Province expects to advertise the tender in October, with the contract award in November, and mobilization for construction in December. The work is intended for completion prior to the 2024 irrigation season. 5. The LNID Board of Directors has clearly articulated to the Province the impact of delayed operation in 2023, especially on crops seeded in the fall of 2022. Options for mitigation programming for directly affected producers are currently being considered by the Government of Alberta. While no programming from the Province has been announced, or can even be confirmed, producers are encouraged to retain documentation that may be necessary to support potential claims, should programming be approved. The Board will continue to provide updates as canal flow, water order demand and water storage, supports additional changes. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT AUGUST 18, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) reduced the flow in the AA&I Main Canal to 32.0 cms (1130 cfs) on Tuesday, August 15th and to 27.0 cms (955 cfs) this morning. On Monday, August 21, 2023 the flow will be reduced to 22.0 cms (775 cfs) to help retain more water in the Oldman River Dam. The canal flow will continue to be reviewed weekly and will be reduced as irrigation demand decreases or the need arises. The water orders for today totals 30.8 cms (1085 cfs), which results in a net decrease to Keho Reservoir, currently at 91.9% full supply level (FSL). It is expected that the current demand will not change over the next week. The Oldman Dam is currently at 43% of its storage capacity. If little to no rainfall is received it is projected to decrease to approximately 10% of its storage capacity by the end of the irrigation season. The Board is encouraging all water users to keep their reservoir full and use the limited supply of water wisely and not waste any. Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will continue to be permitted to irrigate NO MORE THAN 75% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. It is important that each landowner cooperate with this restriction so that the 16” per irrigation acre allocation can be achieved and the District infrastructure will not be stressed beyond its capacity limits. Please contact your Water District Coordinator for the total water usage to date on any of your parcels of land. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued cooperation of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to provide updates as canal flow, water order demand and water storage, supports additional changes. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT AUGUST 11, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has reduced the flow in the AA&I Main Canal to 37.5 cms (1325 cfs) effective this morning to help retain more water in the Oldman River Dam, which has been decreasing by approximately 1% per day and is currently at 49% of its storage capacity. The canal flow will be reviewed weekly and will be reduced as irrigation demand decreases. The water orders for today totals approximately 32 cms (1130 cfs), which results in a continuing net increase to Keho Reservoir, currently at 87.5% full supply level (FSL). It is expected that the current demand will increase over the coming weeks, if little to no rainfall is received, however it is not anticipated to decrease the current storage level in the Keho Reservoir very significantly. Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will continue to be permitted to irrigate NO MORE THAN 75% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. It is important that each landowner cooperate with this restriction so that the 16” per irrigation acre allocation can be achieved and the District infrastructure will not be stressed beyond its capacity limits. Please contact your Water District Coordinator for the total water usage to date on any of your parcels of land. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued cooperation of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to provide updates as canal flow, water order demand and water storage, supports additional changes. The Board continues to impress upon AA&I that the Main Canal reconstruction to repair all of the leaks must be commenced as soon as possible after the 2023 irrigation season has ended. The Board has also decided that the current moratorium on the sale of additional irrigation acres (water rights) by the LNID will continue and remain in place during 2024. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT JUNE 30, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has maintained the flow in the AA&I Main Canal at approximately 42.5cms (1500cfs) for the last two weeks and are hopeful this flow can continue for as long as it is required. AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage to determine if the canal flow can be maintained at this level. The water orders for today totals approximately 1600cfs which results in a continuing draw down on Keho Reservoir, currently at 80.0% full supply level (FSL). Without any significant rainfall, the water demand over the next three weeks is projected to increase and stay high, which can be supplemented from the Keho Reservoir storage. Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will continue to be permitted to irrigate NO MORE THAN 75% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. It is important that each landowner cooperate with this restriction so that the 16” per irrigation acre allocation can be achieved and the District infrastructure will not be stressed beyond its capacity limits. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to provide updates as canal flow, water order demand and water storage, supports additional changes. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT JUNE 20, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has increased the flow in the AA&I Main Canal to approximately 42.5cms (1500cfs). AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage to determine if the canal flow can be maintained at this level. This is the maximum flow that will be diverted into the canal this year. Responding to the concerns of water users and the need for crop irrigation as soon as possible, within the limits of irrigation infrastructure, and in consideration that the Oldman Dam is currently at 95.9% full and Keho Reservoir level has increased back up to 79.0% of full supply level (FSL), and if the canal flow remains at 42.5cms for the duration of the irrigation season, the Board is confident that a total allocation of 16” per irrigation acre can be achieved on the following basis: Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate effective Wednesday, June 21, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 75% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. It is important that each landowner cooperate with this restriction so that the 16” per irrigation acre can be achieved and the District infrastructure will not be stressed beyond its capacity limits. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to provide updates as canal flow, water order demand and water storage, supports additional changes. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT JUNE 15, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has increased the flow in the AA&I Main Canal to approximately 40cms (1405cfs). AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage to determine if the canal flow can be maintained at this level or increased again anytime soon. Responding to the concerns of water users and the need for crop irrigation as soon as possible, within the limits of irrigation infrastructure, water distribution for irrigation will remain at a total allocation to date of 4½” per irrigation acre in the District. Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate effective Friday, June 16, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 75% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. LNID Water Users can be assured that our Provincial Government is treating this matter as an emergency. The government is working closely with the LNID and AFSC to assess crop damages to-date, and is exploring the best means to address them. They have committed to keeping all affected parties informed as the work progresses. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to supply updates as information is received. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT JUNE 14, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has increased the flow in the AA&I Main Canal to 38cms (1340cfs). AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage to determine if the canal flow can be maintained at this level or increased again anytime soon. Responding to the concerns of water users and the need for crop irrigation as soon as possible, within the limits of irrigation infrastructure, water distribution for irrigation has been increased an additional 1” per irrigation acre bringing the total allocation to date on irrigation acres in the District to 4½” per irrigation acre. Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate effective Thursday, June 15, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 50% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to supply updates as information is received. TO WATER USERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE NORTHERN IRRIGATION DISTRICT JUNE 12, 2023 The Board never imagined that we would be in the situation that we are faced with today. After a couple years of dealing with low canal flows due to a liner that had reached the end of its life, we were excited that the reline project was underway and would be completed before the 2023 water season. We were devastated to find out about the mess that was created that we as a district are dealing with today. We have been relaying information as it is available to us but we realize that it is not enough for you to make the management decisions on your farm that you need to make. We have been busy, often meeting several times per week in order to manage the small amount of water that has been flowing this spring. With the low flows the District has been receiving and the storage that we have in Keho Reservoir, we are trying to manage the water in such a way that everyone gets to irrigate and Keho Reservoir will last for the season. Only a very small amount of the water that has flowed down the canal has gone into Keho, so it goes without saying that we are definitely running a deficit on water. Although this is a normal occurrence at times of high water usage, (flow capacity of the flume over the Old Man River is 46 CMS and we use upwards of 60 CMS at high usage season) with a low canal flow and the level of Keho receding rapidly starting in May already, we need to be very careful in how the water is distributed. It is our hope to get up to at least a 35 CMS flow so we can maintain 50% of systems running and continue increasing allocation on a steady basis. From there we will increase or decrease the amount of systems being able to run at one time according to the flow we receive. AA&I feels quite confident that increased flows will hold but there are no such thing as a guarantee in this situation. It is important to understand that the LNID’s water allocation will not be restored back to 17.5 inches this season. Within the next couple weeks we hope to better be able to give an estimation of what the total allotment MIGHT look like. We acknowledge and understand the devastation that is being felt across the District. There is much anxiety due to the need for feed stocks and the dollars and cents that have been put into this season’s crops. We, along with the help of some producer groups, are busy talking to government officials to come up with some viable options to ensure enough water to support livestock feed and higher input crops. We will continue to keep in contact with the departments involved and are advocating for more consultation with the operation and maintenance of the LNID headworks and portion of the canal that AA&I owns and operates. Several questions have arisen from the Board and from producers and here are a few of them: Q - Why doesn’t the Alberta Government invoke a state of emergency to allow extraordinary measures to be taken to repair the canal and/or pump water from the river into the canal after the flume without months upon months of red tape? A - This situation does not fall under framework of state of emergency. It needs to be a life and limb threat to humans and this will never qualify. Q - How did this happen? Who’s fault is this? A - These are questions that will be asked and investigated at a future date. Right now the priority is getting a sustainable flow of water through the canal. Q - What is plan B or C? A - Plan B or C. is plan A. The only option we have is to get water down the canal. There are no other options that are viable. We continue to ask for your understanding and support in this matter. Please be kind to the LNID water supervisors as their job is very difficult right now and it is not their fault that water is rationed. Also, we know that there have been people stealing water, running too many pivots or running irrigation at night hoping nobody sees it. Please consider your neighbors and fellow producers as this causes someone else to run out of water and creates longer periods of time between allocation increases. We commit to continue to be as stewardly as possible with the resource we are tasked to manage. We will allocate as much water as possible from now till the end of the season. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS JUNE 9, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has ongoing repairs to the AA&I Main Canal and hopes to increase the canal flow to 30cms (1050cfs) on Saturday, June 10, 2023. AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage to determine if the canal flow can be increased again anytime soon. All water users should understand that at a canal flow of 30, 35, or even 40 cms, the net result is that Keho Reservoir storage will continue to decrease. In yesterday’s meeting with the Board, AA&I confirmed that Keho Reservoir was live storage at 68% full and water can continue to be released from Keho Reservoir. Responding to the concerns of water users and the need for crop irrigation as soon as possible, within the limits of irrigation infrastructure, water distribution for irrigation has been increased 1” per irrigation acre on the following basis: Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate effective Monday, June 12, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 50% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed provided AA&I has increased the canal flow to 30cms. The total allocation to date on the irrigation acres in the District is: 3½” per irrigation acre. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to supply updates as information is received. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS JUNE 8, 2023 The LNID Board has met with Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) officials today. The Alberta Government is well aware that damages are occurring and have occurred already. The AA&I Main Canal is still operating at 20cms (700cfs). Work is ongoing on the repairs to the AA&I Main Canal. AA&I hopes to increase to 30cms (1050cfs) and that we will be able to increase the allocation on Monday. A further update will be provided tomorrow, June 9, 2023. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS JUNE 5, 2023 Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) has maintained a flow of 20cms (700cfs) in the AA&I Main Canal throughout the weekend. AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage, to determine when the canal flow can be increased to 30cms (1050cfs). As such, water distribution for irrigation can continue on the following basis: Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate effective Tuesday, June 6, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 50% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. The total allocation to date on the irrigation acres in the District is: 2½” per irrigation acre. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. The District wants to remind irrigators to check that their irrigation systems are not watering roads and highways. This is a waste of water and each water user should ensure that their irrigation systems are not wasting water and potentially creating a road hazard. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to supply updates as information is received. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS JUNE 2, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal has increased back to 20cms (700cfs) as of 11:00 AM today. AA&I will continue to monitor the canal flow and seepage, to determine when the canal flow can be increased to 30cms (1050cfs). Hopefully, this will happen sometime next week. As such, water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal, Monarch Main Canal and in the east out of Keho Reservoir can only continue on the following basis: As stated in the June 01, 2023 Notice, each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate an additional ½” per irrigation acre effective June 3, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. The total allocation to date on the irrigation acres in the District is: 2½” per irrigation acre. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to issue updates only when there are changes or new information to report to the Water Users. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS JUNE 1, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal will be increased back to 20cms (700cfs) on Friday, June 2, 2023. AA&I will then monitor the canal flow and seepage to determine when the canal flow can be increased to 30cms (1050cfs). The Board continues to remain in contact with the Minister of Agriculture and his staff as well as other MLA’s in order to stress the urgency to have the AA&I Main Canal repairs completed and increase the diversion from the Oldman River. As such, water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal, Monarch Main Canal and in the east out of Keho Reservoir can only continue on the following basis: Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will again be permitted to irrigate an additional ½” per irrigation acre effective June 3, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. This now increases the total allocation to date on the irrigation acres in the District to: 2½” per irrigation acre. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this continuing critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. The Board will continue to issue updates to Water Users as information becomes available. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 31, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal was reduced to 10cms (350cfs) effective early this morning, as a new significant leak has been discovered in the AA&I Main Canal. It is expected that repairs on this leak will not be completed for several days. The Board wishes to advise all water users that the Oldman River Diversion Headworks and the AA&I Main Canal through to the Keho Reservoir Outlet is owned and operated by the Government of Alberta and, as such, the LNID Board of Directors are not part of the decision making on how this infrastructure is maintained and operated. As such, water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal, Monarch Main Canal and in the east out of Keho Reservoir can only continue on the following basis: Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will only be permitted to irrigate an additional ½” per irrigation acre effective June 1, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. This now reduces the total allocation to date on most of the irrigation acres in the District to: 2” per irrigation acre. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. A further update will be provided when more information is available. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 29, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal is being retained at 20cms (700cfs) until additional leakage repairs are completed, hopefully by the middle of this week, then the flow will be increased to 30cms (1050cfs). As such, water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal, Monarch Main Canal and in the east out of Keho Reservoir can continue on the following basis: Each landowner (owned, rented or leased land) will be permitted to irrigate an additional 1” per irrigation acre effective May 30, 2023, on NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. This now brings the total allocation to date to: 2.5” per irrigation acre It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and receive an acknowledgement reply back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. A further update will be provided when more information is available. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 25, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal is being retained at 20 cms (700cfs) until additional leakage repairs are completed, either late into this weekend or early next week. It is planned that the diversion flow will increase from 20 cms to 30 cms (1050cfs) by early next week, however, no date has yet been determined. The LNID has been assured by AA&I that the required repairs are continuing to be completed on a priority or emergency basis. As such, water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal and the Monarch Main Canal can continue on the following basis: Restriction of each landowner (owned, rented, or leased land) being permitted to irrigate 1” on NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. The landowner can also have the option of irrigating an additional ½” on irrigation acres previously irrigated with 1” of water, with the same flow restriction in total of NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME. Water distribution for irrigation in the east out of Keho Reservoir will continue but at a rate of NO MORE THAN 25% OF THE LAND FARMED AT THE SAME TIME. The restriction continues for each landowner permitted to irrigate 1” on land not yet irrigated, or transfer any unused portion of the 1” allocation to land that has already been irrigated, thereby leaving a parcel with less than 1” of irrigation, at this time. Each landowner can also begin to irrigate an additional ½” on land which has already been irrigated with 1” of water, with the same flow restriction in total of NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME. It is up to each landowner to decide which land (crops) to apply this restricted supply of water. If you wish to transfer any allocation from one parcel to another, please contact your Water District Coordinator to provide your name, the land locations involved, and your email address so a Transfer Allocation Form can be prepared and emailed to you for your signature of approval. Please continue to place all water orders on and off with your Water District Coordinator and an acknowledgement reply received back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board appreciates the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. A further update will be provided when more information is available. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 23, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal is being retained at 20 cms (700cfs) while additional leakage repairs continue. It is planned that the diversion flow will possibly increase from 20 cms to 30 cms (1050cfs) by Friday, May 26, 2023. With an AA&I Main Canal flow of 30 cms, Keho Reservoir storage will continue to decrease as very little of the 30 cms will flow into it. Water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal and the Monarch Main Canal can continue on the following basis: Restriction of each landowner (owned, rented, or leased land) being permitted to irrigate 1” on NO MORE THAN 50% AT THE SAME TIME of the irrigation acres being farmed. The landowner can also have the option of irrigating an additional ½” on irrigation acres previously irrigated with 1” of water, with the same flow restriction in total of NO MORE THAN 50% AT THE SAME TIME. Water distribution for irrigation in the east out of Keho Reservoir will continue but at a rate of NO MORE THAN 25% OF THE LAND FARMED AT THE SAME TIME. The restriction continues for each landowner permitted to irrigate 1” on land not yet irrigated, or transfer any unused portion of the 1” allocation to land that has already been irrigated, thereby leaving a parcel with less than 1” of irrigation, at this time. Each landowner can also begin to irrigate an additional ½” on land which has already been irrigated with 1” of water, with the same flow restriction in total of NO MORE THAN 25% AT THE SAME TIME. The District’s 17.5” allocation has been rescinded and there will no longer be an allocation assessment greater than the allocation currently being used from this date forward. All water orders on and off must be placed with your Water District Coordinator and an acknowledgement reply received back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board requests the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. A further update will be provided when more information is available. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 20, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that flow in the AA&I Main Canal has been increased from 10 cms to 20 cms (700cfs). As a result of the increased flow, water distribution for irrigation in the west out of the AA&I Main Canal and the Monarch Main Canal can commence on the following basis: Restriction of each landowner being permitted to irrigate 1” on NO MORE THAN 50% of the landowner's irrigation acres AT THE SAME TIME, commencing today. All water orders on and off must be placed with your Water District Coordinator and an acknowledgement reply received back before irrigation can be commenced. The Board requests the continued understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users’ commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. AA&I will be monitoring the increased flow over the weekend and will provide an update to the Board on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. A further update will be provided when more information is available. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 19, 2023 We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that the previously planned increase in flow for today of 10 cms to 20 cms (700cfs) in the Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) Main Canal has been delayed until tomorrow, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Due to the time of travel from the Oldman River through the west portion of the LNID system, water may not be available for delivery in many areas of the AA&I Main Canal and the Monarch Main Canal until Monday, May 22, 2023. At this time, no portion of the 20 cms flow is planned to be used to increase the storage in Keho Reservoir. The District is requesting that if you can wait for your water order of the 1” initial irrigation on 25% of your systems out of the AA&I Main Canal and the Monarch Canal until Monday, May 22, 2023, please do so. Please contact your Water District Coordinator with your updated water order. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. AA&I will be monitoring the increased flow over the weekend and will provide an update to the Board for our meeting on Monday, May 22, 2023. A further update will be provided after this meeting. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS MAY 17, 2023 5:00pm Flow in the Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) Main Canal is currently 10 cms (350 cfs). The Contractor is on site and continuing with the inverted (reverse) filter installations. The three inverted filters should be mostly complete at some time on Friday, May 19, 2023. AA&I still plans to ramp up to a 20 cms (700 cfs) flow in the AA&I Main Canal on May 19, 2023. The monitoring for seepage will continue on a daily basis. As long as the seepage monitoring looks favourable, flow could be ramped up to 30 cms (1050 cfs) early next week. AA&I and Alberta Transportation & Economic Corridors (AT&EC) will continue to monitor the site daily to manage the work being completed. We request that landowners continue to abstain from irrigating residential yards in order to help conserve water. CLARIFICATION - MAY 17, 2023 In reference to the news below that was posted last night, May 16, 2023 at 6:00pm, the following has been amended for clarification. Water distribution for irrigation in the West out of the AA&I Main Canal and Monarch Canal will be based on a restriction of each landowner being permitted to irrigate 1” on NO MORE THAN 25% of the landowner's irrigation acres AT THE SAME TIME, commencing Saturday, May 20, 2023, on the following basis: 1-4 pivots can irrigate 1 pivot at a time 5-9 pivots can irrigate 2 pivots at a time 10-14 pivots can irrigate 3 pivots at a time 15-19 pivots can irrigate 4 pivots at a time Etc. The Board requests the understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. Any water user that takes water not authorized by the District and properly ordered and acknowledged by your Water District Coordinator will incur a penalty of 5”/acre from the annual allocation for every 1” of water/acre taken. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS UPDATE May 16, 2023 6:00PM We have been notified by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AA&I) that there are three additional areas of concern in the AA&I Main Canal that require repair work to be completed. Today, the contractor on site commenced installing reverse seepage filters on the outside bank of the canal. It is anticipated that this work can be completed near the end of the week at which point the canal flow can increase to 20 cms (700 cfs). The canal will continue to be monitored with the hope that the canal flow can be increased to 30 cms (1050 cfs) within a few days. The current 10 cms (350 cfs) flow is not sufficient to sustain water requirements for 25% of the irrigation acres out of the AA&I Main Canal and Monarch Canal. Time of travel from the Oldman River to the Monarch diversion structure will take 1½ to 2 days and then approximately 2 days to distribute water down the Monarch Canal and out of Park Lake to irrigation parcels. As a result, with very little available flow going into Keho Reservoir, the existing rules for irrigation out of Keho Reservoir will remain the same as was previously stated: Irrigation acres delivered to out of Keho Reservoir, the first 1” of water for each irrigation acre on the basis that the 1” of usage will count as 3” of water usage out of the current year’s 17.5” water allocation limit per irrigation acre. Water distribution for irrigation in the West out of the AA&I Main Canal and Monarch Canal will be based on a restriction of each landowner being permitted to irrigate 1” on 25% of the landowner's irrigation acres, commencing Saturday, May 20, 2023, on the following basis: 1-4 pivots can irrigate 1 pivot 5-9 pivots can irrigate 2 pivots 10-14 pivots can irrigate 3 pivots 15-19 pivots can irrigate 4 pivots Etc. The Board requests the understanding of all water users in not taking more water than your entitlement in order for this system to work during this critical period of time. All water users commitment to sharing this limited supply of water is essential. Any water user that takes water not authorized by the District and properly ordered and acknowledged by your Water District Coordinator will incur a penalty of 5”/acre from the annual allocation for every 1” of water/acre taken. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS UPDATE May 12, 2023 Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AA&I) expects construction on the AA&I Main Canal will be completed today. AA&I plans to start putting 10 cms (353cfs) of water into the canal at 9:00am tomorrow, May 13, 2023. We hope no leaks will show up so water can run all summer as normal. Hopefully everyone can irrigate by the middle to the end of next week. Please contact your Water District Coordinator with your water order to determine when water will be available for delivery to your parcel of land. The Board will continue to monitor the amount of water diversion that can safely flow into the AA&I Main Canal. ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS AND COMMENCEMENT OF WATER DIVERSION FROM OLDMAN RIVER May 8, 2023 The Board of Directors have been provided an update on the status of repairs on the Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AA&I) Main Canal. The contractor has removed the armour and liner from 1km of canal and is in the process of replacing the armour over the replacement liner. This will not repair all of the leaks, however, AA&I are going to divert water into the canal in order to distribute water to LNID water users. The amount of flow that can be diverted into the AA&I Main Canal will depend on the amount of water that is determined to still be leaking out of the canal. AA&I is now hoping to commence diverting a partial canal of water from the Oldman River on Friday, May 12, 2023. The initial plan is to fill LNID pipelines along the AA&I Main Canal and start to divert water into the Monarch Canal by Monday, May 15 as well as flow water past the Monarch structure for water users out of the AA&I Canal prior to the Keho Reservoir. It will take approximately 4 days to prime pipelines along the Monarch Canal and out of Park Lake for water delivery by Friday, May 19th. Water availability out of these pipeline systems will depend on the location of your land. The amount of water that can flow into Keho Reservoir will determine how much more water can be allocated out of the Keho Reservoir and when any additional delivery can commence. Please contact your Water District Coordinator with your water order to determine when water will be available for delivery to your parcel of land. The Board requests cooperation from all LNID land owners as water is distributed by staff to all portions of the District as quickly as possible. The Board will continue to monitor the status of the Main Canal repairs with AA&I and the amount of water diversion that can safely flow into the AA&I Main Canal. NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS MAY 5, 2023 - RE: IRRIGATION DELIVERY OUT OF KEHO LAKE & ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS The Board of Directors met this afternoon for an update on the status of the repairs required for the Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AA&I) Main Canal leaks. There is still no definite timeline on how long the necessary repairs will take to be completed. Considering the restricted amount of water storage currently in Keho Reservoir, the Board has approved for irrigation acres delivered to out of Keho Reservoir, 1” of water for each irrigation acre on the basis that the 1” of usage will count as 3” of water usage out of the current year’s 17.5” water allocation limit per irrigation acre. No water transfers will be permitted until further notice. Water must be ordered both on and off with 24 hours notice for water delivery commencing on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. The 1” maximum water usage per irrigation acre is intended to help conserve some water in Keho Reservoir, but depending on weather and when the AA&I Main Canal repairs can be completed, Keho Reservoir may encounter restrictions to outflow at times during the remainder of the 2023 water season. Your cooperation in ordering water on and off with your Water District Coordinator is absolutely essential. The Board will continue to monitor the Main Canal repairs with AA&I and provide updates as they become available. NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS MAY 3, 2023 - RE: ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS The Board of Directors met today May 3, 2023 to review the latest information the LNID has received from Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (“AA&I”) concerning the status of repairs to the LNID Headworks Canal (the “Headworks Canal”). As we have earlier advised our water users, ground conditions had caused some embankment instability in a section of the Headworks Canal upstream of the Oldman River Flume. The Alberta Government hired a contractor to effect the repairs over this past winter. Upon completion of the repairs this spring, AA&I began to commission the repairs and turned water into the Headworks Canal on April 25th and discovered construction-related leaks at the site of the repair work. The leaks were significant enough to warrant shutting down the Headworks Canal which was done on April 26th. We have been advised by AA&I that additional contract resources have been engaged by the Alberta Government effective May 3, 2023 to expedite repairs. No further water will flow in the Headworks Canal until the leaks are repaired. We have been given no time frame for completion of these latest repairs, and we will continue to communicate with AA&I for updates on the status of the work. For now, the District has access to water at the outlet of Keho Lake, and some water stored in the Monarch Canal from which we will continue to run minimum flow where possible, to prime pipelines and fill ponds, however, NO IRRIGATION will be permitted, off of any of our systems, until we advise otherwise. The Board is asking that all water users cooperate and not irrigate any acres at this time. Please DO NOT contact your Water District Coordinator for information on the status of water and Main Canal repairs, as the District will keep you informed as information is received. Water will become available, but it is not yet known as too how much and when. The next email update will be issued on Friday, May 5, 2023. URGENT NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS The District has received notification from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, that the water diversion from the Oldman River has been shut off due to leakage that has occurred prior to the flume from the Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Main Canal. We have been assured that this problem is being worked on, but at this time, the District has no idea how long it will take to make the necessary repairs to the Main Canal. The District was in the process of flushing canals and priming pipelines when we received notification of the leakage. At this time the District would like to commence with pond fills, so please contact your Water District Coordinator about filling your pond, if water is available. Until this problem is resolved and water is once again being diverted from the Oldman River, no water orders will be taken for irrigating crops. Your cooperation in only filling ponds, where possible, is appreciated. Further updates will be forthcoming as more information is made available to the District. |