By Helge Nome
Alberta’s Special Areas Board and the MD of Acadia hosted an open house providing information on their proposed regional irrigation project
on May 2nd in the Acadia Valley Community Hall.
In brief, the project involves 108,000 acres of previously disturbed or cultivated lands potentially receiving irrigation water from the Red Deer River
in the maximum amount of 170 million cubic meters per annum, being withdrawn from a site next to the Bindloss Bridge in the far east of the province.
The maximum water diversion rate is planned to be 15 cubic meters per second and water will be distributed to one dam on the north side of the river to serve the Acadia Valley irrigation blocks, and another on the south side of the river for the Special Areas blocks.
Members of the Red Deer River Municipal Users Group were given a tour of the project area prior to the open house and disembarked from the bus
at the proposed pumping site near the Bindloss Bridge as part of an informative journey. A project team member provided information
over the bus’s loudspeaker system while travelling.
The open house was well attended with information stations manned by project team members.
A concluding open house is planned for early 2025.
Detailed up-to-date information on this project can be accessed here: