| Reservoir | Normal Winter Volume (Acre-Feet) |
Current Volume (Acre-Feet) |
Difference (Acre-Feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Newell | 129,000 | 105,000 | (24,000) |
| Snake Lake | 9,600 | 1,700 | (7,900)) |
| Crawling Valley | 69,400 | 54,500 | (14,900)) |
| Total | (46,800) |
At the end of the irrigation season (Sept 25th), District reservoirs cumulatively were down 104,000 acre-ft from normal winter levels. Presently the District is down approximately 47,000 acre-ft from normal winter levels.
To date, weather conditions have allowed the District to continue diversions. The District is currently filling both Lake Newell and Snake Lake and is optimistic the weather will cooperate and both reservoirs can be filled to normal winter levels within the next 2 to 3 weeks. While Crawling Valley is the third priority, all attempts to fill this reservoir this year will be made pending weather conditions. If Crawling Valley does not receive additional water this year, operationally it is one of the easier reservoirs to fill when the spring runoff arrives.
| Reservoir | Normal Winter Volume (Acre-Feet) |
Current Volume (Acre-Feet) |
Difference (Acre-Feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Newell | 129,000 | 58,500 | (70,500) |
| Rolling Hills | 16,300 | 16,700 | 400 |
| Tilley ‘B’ | 8,700 | 9,500 | 800 |
| Snake Lake | 9,600 | 2,650 | (6,950) |
| Crawling Valley | 69,400 | 57,800 | (11,600) |
| Total | 233,000 | 145,150 | (87,850) |
Presently, the main reservoir levels in the EID are at an 87,850 acre-foot deficit when compared to normal winter levels.
It is possible that by the water shut down date these same reservoirs will be at a defecit of 100,000 acre-feet. With predicted diversions being in the 800 cfs range for the foreseeable future and into the fall, it would take approximately 60 days to fill these reservoirs back to their normal winter range from the date of irrigation shut-off.
In preparation for the 2024 water season, the shut off date for irrigation is currently set for September 25, 2023; with the system maintaining minimum flows that may be needed for stock watering and filling dugouts until October 5, 2023. September 25th is approximately 2 weeks earlier than the typical irrigation shut down date and will provide additional fall reservoir filling time to help ensure reservoirs are brought back to a more secure level in the event of early winter conditions.
The District intends to continue diversions until normal winter reservoir levels are met, hopefully some time in the latter half of November, unless the winter weather requires the District to stop diversions, whichever is sooner.
Priority for filling:
The Government of Alberta department of Agriculture and Irrigation has requested all irrigation districts to conduct fall operations with the spirit of water conservation:
Please fill dugouts now and top up before October 5, 2023.
Contact the EID at 403-362-1400 if you have any questions.
Click here to view the letter from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.All irrigation, including farmyards and acreages, will cease on September 25th.
A minimum flow in canals and pipelines will be maintained until October 5th for cattle and pond filling needs.
Municipal residents are encouraged to manage their outdoor water requirements on a similar timeline.
All diversion after October 5th will be directed to District reservoirs to begin restoring the reservoirs to normal winter levels for the 2024 irrigation season.
Please contact the EID at 403-362-1400 if you have any questions.
Click here for more information.Thank You to All Water Users For Your Conservation Efforts.
Click here for more information.In assessment of current levels of EID reservoirs and river flows, it is projected that there is sufficient water to meet demands within the second half of the irrigation season and to supply an increase to the maximum limits. Due to this, the limit for farm irrigation has been raised to 18” for areas off-river and below Lake Newell Reservoir, and 21” for areas under Crawling Valley Reservoir for the remainder of the irrigation season. Terminable acre parcels are permitted to irrigate but will be the first to be shut off if a shortage occurs. Irrigators are to contact Brent Kroschel at 403-363-5606 or their Divisional Superintendent for more information.
Irrigators are reminded that always communicating ON and OFF orders with their Water Operator is REQUIRED. Poor communication results in wasteful operations and this will reduce the amount of water available.
If you want to transfer volumes of water between parcels, you must fill out an application form at the EID Office to gain approval prior to transferring (please refer to the NOTICE for additional details).
Irrigators and all other water users are encouraged to continue to manage water needs wisely.
The EID has received adequate river flows to meet off-river acre demand and supplement reservoirs since the last update. Due to this, the limit for farm irrigation has been raised to 16” for areas off-river and below Lake Newell Reservoir, and 19” for areas under Crawling Valley Reservoir for the remainder of the irrigation season. Terminable acre parcels are also now permitted to irrigate but will be the first to be shut off if a shortage occurs. Irrigators are to contact Brent Kroschel at 403-363-5606 or their Divisional Superintendent for more information.
Because of recent rainfall out west and a subsequent increase in reservoir storage levels, the limit on farm irrigation has been raised to 15” for the areas off-river and below Lake Newell Reservoir. The limit on farm irrigation for areas under Crawling Valley Reservoir has been raised to 18”. River supplied areas, including those under Snake Lake Reservoir, could still see shortages and rotations if river flows continue to drop. Irrigators are to contact Brent Kroschel at 403-363-5606 or their Divisional Superintendent for more information.
The irrigation limit has been increased from 12” to 13” for the remainder of the irrigation season; acres supported by Crawling Valley Reservoir have been increased from 16” to 17”. Current river flows have improved and will allow us to serve all areas supplied directly from the river right now. If/when river flows decrease, off-river areas could later experience rotations and shortages, including areas below Snake Lake Reservoir. Dependent on your own water management decisions, we encourage all irrigators to take advantage of the present favorable river conditions, especially those supplied directly by the river. If you’re unsure if you are in a river supplied area or reservoir supplied area, or have any other questions, please contact your Divisional Superintendent or Brent Kroschel, Operations Manager for more details. Please check this page for updates.
A reduced maximum water limit per acre has been imposed for irrigators. All other water users are also asked to manage their water needs wisely (i.e. identify where water use can be reduced or eliminated and carry out these measures directly). The EID acknowledges the cooperation of all stakeholders and is appreciative of the efforts. For any enquiries, please contact:
To track your on-farm water usage, please sign up for our IRMA web app.
The IRMA sign-up form can be downloaded by clicking this LINK.
Email the comlpleted application form to: mark.porter@eid.ca
Irrigation water is raw water that is suitable for:
Irrigation water is not potable water.
Please see the news page for more information on the 2023 early water shut down.
Click here for the news/ads page, or select News/Ads from the menu abovePlease check the News/Ads page for important information!
EID will begin its seasonal pesticide program including the use of Vanquish and Vision Max pesticides on May 15th, 2023.
ATTENTION ICE FISHERMAN
Please be advised that May 1 of every year is the deadline to remove ice fishing shelters from Eastern Irrigation District owned land.
Also a reminder that as per the current fishing regulations you are required to identify your ice fishing shack with your WiN number OR Name and Phone number.
If you have questions please contact Eastern Irrigation District at 403-362-1400. Thank you for your co-operation!
Eastern Irrigation District.
550 Industrial Road West
Box 128
Brooks, Alberta, Canada, T1R 1B2
Phone: 403-362-1400 | Email: eid(at)eid.ca
To apply for a Partners in Habitat Development Project, click the following link to view the application form/brochure:
Brochure/Application Form