2021 IRRIGATION UPDATE In This Issue . Publication Date Water Delivery Date .......................1 May 4, 2021 Irrigation Applications .....................2 Solar Project..............................3 Snowpack Report .........................4 Board of Directors Meetings ................4 Completed Rehabilitation Projects...........5 County/EID Drainage Projects...............6 Flow Rates ...............................6 Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground . .7 Irrigation Recording and Management App . 8 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program 8 Just a Reminder ...........................9 Partners in Habitat Development...........10 Public Access ............................10 EIDNet ..................................11 Eastern Irrigation District WATER DELIVERY DATE In March, the Board set the date To meet an earlier delivery date, Where Water for the earliest water delivery for Construction, Maintenance and Thursday, May 6th, which is within Operation crews worked diligently Works Wonders the typical range of dates. However, within this narrowed timeframe and Administration and Operations prioritized the necessary projects departments are always evaluating which required completion. In April, conditions as they unfold, and the the feasibility was confirmed, and the suitability of the date is ultimately Board approved an adjusted earliest Phone: (403) 362-1400 th Fax: (403) 362-6206 determined in April and adjusted if water delivery date of April 25 . It Email: [email protected] necessary, in response to weather was anticipated that the majority www.eid.ca conditions, irrigator demand, and of the District would be ready for operations capabilities. deliveries by the week of April 25th, although some systems may have P.O. Box 128 It was apparent that an earlier had a delayed start where unknown 550 Industrial Road West water delivery date was needed. winter damage had occurred. Brooks, Alberta Canada T1R 1B2 Page 1 IRRIGATION UPDATE IRRIGATION APPLICATIONS In February, water users voted in favour of passing the Expansion Limit Plebiscite, by a 75% majority of those voting. Once the plebiscite had passed, the following bylaws were approved: • 2021 Expansion Limit Change Bylaw • Irrigation Acres Bylaw • Capital Assets Charges Bylaw For 2021 only, to accommodate increased demand and applications in queue, it was agreed to accept applications in April for irrigation acres that can be developed in 2021 by September 30th. Following is a summary of the outcomes: APPROVED IRRIGATION APPLICATIONS – FOR PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 Total Approved Denied Approved Applications Applications Applications Acres Infill 27 24 3 947 (12,000 acres of the 34,000 acre expansion are reserved for Infill) New Parcels – below Newell & Crawling Valley Reservoirs 10 8 2 1,251* (60% of the 2,000 acres/year max or 1,200 acres) New Parcels – not below Newell & Crawling Valley Reservoirs 36 12 24 846* (40% of the 2,000 acres/year max or 800 acres) * Clause 10.0 of the Irrigation Acres Bylaw: The Board reserves the right, by its motion, to vary, alter or waive any criteria, guidelines and rules established by this bylaw when, in the opinion of the Board, a variance or waiver of such criteria, guideline or rule is considered to be in the best interest of the District. Additional acres were approved to enable projects to be fully developed. Once projects are completed and finalized, the approved number of acres will be verified. Any carry forward acres from projects that are not completed will be applied to the next irrigation season’s maximum allotment. Applications for projects requiring 50 or less irrigation acres to be added to existing irrigation parcels will be received throughout the year. The process for applying for irrigation acres over 50 acres or for projects on dry parcels now reverts to the annual review in fall. NEED SOILS? All proposed projects need to be reviewed according to the parcel’s historical soils information and various other criteria. If you have been advised that soils testing is required on your parcel, or have any questions, please call Staci Connauton at 403- 362-1400. Land Classification for Irrigation in Alberta • https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/ deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex705/$file/560-3. pdf?OpenElement Registered Agrologists • https://open.alberta.ca/publications/list-of- consulting-agrologists-for-land-classification- for-irrigation-development-in-alberta Page 2 April 30, 2021 IRRIGATION UPDATE SOLAR PROJECT Following lengthy discussions and negotiations, the EID In addition to adhering with the regulatory and Solar Krafte Utilities Inc. (“SKU”) recently executed conservation and reclamation requirements for a land lease on favorable terms for a 400-Megawatt renewable energy operations, as set out in Section solar project being proposed by SKU. The solar project 137 of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement is being sited for EID lands located at Sections 19, 29 & Act, as administered by Alberta Environment and 30, S1/2 of Sections 31 & 32, N ½ of Section 18, W1/2 Parks pursuant to the Conservation and Reclamation of Section 28 and SW 33-18-15 W4M as well as Section Directive for Renewable Energy Operations, SKU will 24-18-16 W4M and on adjacent third-party private also cooperate with the EID to permit the EID to use lands. For ease of reference these lands are located portions of the leased lands for appropriate livestock adjacent to the AltaLink Cassils Substation as outlined and agribusiness operations which do not otherwise in red on the map. interfere with SKU’s solar project. The EID owns approximately 3600 acres of the 3900 The total capital cost of the proposed project is expected acres being initially sited for the project. The project is to approach $500 million and will provide an important expected to be completed in phases with construction source of direct and indirect economic activity to the targeted to commence in late 2021 and operations continuing over the next 30 years and beyond. The EID lands are currently being used for grazing purposes and are also densely populated with oil and gas wells and related pipeline infrastructure. The actual acreage required for the project has yet to be finalized by SKU but the final footprint will take into account pre- existing oil and gas lease and pipeline easement locations, electrical utility infrastructure, wildlife features, and any other appropriate setbacks. Features of this project are: County of Newell and City of Brooks. Additionally, • Low profile solar panel system minimizing producing clean, renewable power without emissions visual impact. or waste, the proposed project is estimated to offset • Horizontal panel trackers, allowing the panels 470,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, to follow the sun as it arcs across the sky. generating enough electricity to power more than • Minimal grading and no paving of the proposed 90,000 Alberta homes. site. • But for centralized transformer and inverter This solar project provides a unique opportunity for the pads, no cement footings. EID to participate in a large renewable energy project • Pile driven steel post substructure. utilizing lands otherwise densely populated with • No substantial permanent increase in ambient conventional oil and gas, and electrical utility energy noise levels. infrastructure, enabling the EID to diversify its future • Array layout configuration integrated into and revenue streams. layered over conventional energy production. • Subsidy free project. April 30, 2021 Page 3 IRRIGATION UPDATE SNOWPACK REPORT The District follows data on 6 mountain snowpack Three Isle Lake (Kananaskis/Bow River headwaters), pillows for accumulation and spring melt, signaling Little Elbow (Elbow River headwaters), Mount Odlum spring and summer river flows. Upper and lower (Highwood River headwaters), and Lost (north fork quartiles, previous year, and current year data is Oldman River and Highwood River headwaters). displayed. Of equal importance to accumulation is the timing and speed in which snowpack melts, with As of the end of April, snow pillows are currently tracking seasonal temperatures and rain in the mountains below or at the upper quartile, with no indication of a both contributing to melt and river flows. Major snow decline at this point. These levels are slightly below last pillows that are monitored are Skoki (also the Red Deer year’s levels. River headwaters), Sunshine (Bow River headwaters), https://rivers.alberta.ca/ WATER ORDERS It is important to communicate with your Water Operator for ON/OFF requests of your irrigation systems. Please remember to phone or text at least 48 hours prior to your intended irrigation start-up and at least 24 hours in advance of your intended shut-down. This helps ensure the most efficient operation of the irrigation delivery system. Irrigators are kindly asked not to request water deliveries to be made on Sundays. COMMUNITY GRAZING TURN-OUT DATE • May 3rd for Regrass/Tame Pasture • May 15th for Native Pasture BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETINGS Regular Board of Director Meetings are typically held submission, whether directly from yourself or through on the 4th Tuesday of each month, with variance to staff or a Director, please be sure to contact us well the date as required. Agenda items are prepared in in advance of the preferred Board Meeting in order to advance and depending on the matter, may require determine if it may be possible to schedule your matter up to several days or a few weeks to research, obtain onto the