A meeting was held in Estevan last Wednesday to discuss the potential for irrigation in the area. Photo courtesy of Jazmyn Moses
The Southeast Sask Economic Partnership (SSEP) has been investigating the development of a large-scale irrigation district from the Rafferty Reservoir. Under SSEP’s Water for Economic Development Strategy, we are looking for alternative uses for water if we are not able to use water in the future to produce electricity from coal-fired generation.
Irrigation is a major economic driver and will lead to a variety of new jobs and opportunities from forage and food crops to agri-food manufacturing. The SE Sask region is a natural fit for irrigation from quality land, access to the reservoir and three-phase power throughout the region. Our water is also good quality for irrigation, and we have the transportation logistics and corn heat units to grow a variety of new crops and get them to market.” says Tim Keating, Managing Director of SSEP.
The economic benefits to the region from irrigation would be enormous. Economic impact studies of irrigation indicate that;
- For every $1.00 of irrigation sales, the total GDP increased by $2.54 and labour income increased by $1.64. Total employment increased by about 39 jobs for every $1.0 million of irrigation sales.
- Every cubic metre of water delivered for irrigation and other related uses generated about $3.00 to the provincial GDP and $2.00 in labour income. Every $1.00 invested by the government in irrigation-related activities generated $3.00 in added revenue to the province.
- Irrigation sales equated to about $2,400/ha compared with about $329/ha for dryland production – about seven times greater with irrigation.
People living in and around the Baildon Irrigation District have already been reaping the benefits that irrigation can bring to the province with 7 irrigators and approximately 3,266 acres of land. With increases to not only crop stability and reliability and improvements to the sustainability, but irrigation also contributes to the efficiency and economic viability for farmers within the districts. There is also the added benefit of crop diversification due to more water availability.
Jillian Brown, Executive Director of SIPA, noted that “Irrigation is an investment in community growth and development. More crops on each acre of land means more revenue, more jobs, and more community spending but it also means more industry in the form of food processors and other linked industries. Nearly 70% of what Saskatchewan produces it exports internationally, in a raw, unprocessed, form. An investment in irrigation guarantees production and enables different crops to be grown, attracting industry and meaning that our communities can capture the value-added opportunities we traditionally export. All this supports local food security, something that is as important now as it has ever been.”
Since its start in the spring of 2021, SSEP has successfully applied for and supported several municipal infrastructure projects through federal funding. Some key projects include the Airport Road Paving project, funding for a new firehall in Bienfait, and the Kensington Bypass Upgrade.
“As Vice-Chair of SSEP, it is my hope that the two crown corporations, Sask Watershed and SaskPower, will work collaboratively together, and with the SSEP group and surrounding RMs in developing sustainable irrigation projects. These developments will bring diverse crops to our area that will support the demand for the value-added companies that we are trying to attract to the region in order to drive economic development. It is very exciting times for irrigation with the area around the Rafferty Reservoir hitting all of the requirements for developing a larger scale sustainable irrigation project”, said Steve Smith, Vice-Chair of SSEP.
The Water Security Agency (WSA) is currently completing an irrigation feasibility study for the region, and while it’s not quite ready, it’s expected to be released this year. Once these findings are published, SSEP plans to hold a follow up seminar to establish next steps and help get the area set up for irrigation.
For more information, press only:
Jazmyn Moses
Marketing & Communications Manager
306 634 2224
communications@ssep.ca
ssep.ca
The Southeast Sask Economic Partnership is working with the RMs of Estevan and Coalfields and the Town of Bienfait to bring new ecomonic opportunties to our region.
