3 strategies for building modern irrigation to help feed the world
January 03, 2025
A deep dive into Western Canada shows how advanced technology and a data-driven approach can help support the future of food
A demand for more food and climate change have a major impact on water accessibility. That means the agricultural economy is going through a major shift. Farmers need water, but existing infrastructure and weather patterns are becoming less and less reliable. Across the world—and in Western Canada, where I live—part of the answer is modern irrigation.
Irrigation can be expensive, labor-intensive, and complicated. Still, the rewards are huge. And with every new record temperature, the need only grows. That’s why some of the brightest minds in the public and private sectors are working to develop resilient and sustainable irrigation solutions.
From where I stand, modern irrigation feels like a lifeline for our agricultural economy. It’s not just about keeping crops alive; it’s about keeping communities alive. Farmers in our community are more than just producers of food—they are the backbone of our local economy and stewards of the land. Their work impacts everyone, from the food on our tables to the health of our environment. Our farmers face an uphill battle every season. Rainfall is more unpredictable than ever, and the infrastructure we’ve relied on for generations can’t keep up. But there’s hope. I see it in the projects that I support across Western Canada.
Aerial view of Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan.
Each province in Western Canada is facing a modern irrigation challenge. For example, the Alberta Irrigation Modernization project (AIM) has a goal to boost water efficiency. Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan is being used to help water 90,000 acres of farmland. In Manitoba, the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) is gathering data for its Water Strategy Fund. These efforts remind me that innovation isn’t just for tech giants; it’s for our farmers, working the land, and growing and caring for our communities.
Analyzing your opportunities for modern irrigation
By taking the time to analyze, we build the knowledge needed to make smart, impactful decisions about how to expand and optimize irrigation. It’s the first step in transforming our agricultural economy to meet the challenges of a changing climate. We need to understand water sources, usage patterns, and environmental impacts to create effective solutions. In Western Canada, this means using advanced technology and a data-driven approach to find where we can improve our current systems.
For example, Manitoba invested C$2 million for EMILI’s research in 2021. The goal? To better understand the impact of climate change and sustainability on agriculture. We helped analyze the data and provided recommendations. The research looked at:
- Places where we could irrigate dryland.
- Options to conserve water.
- Options to recapture water based on agriculture data.
- Project development cost. This looked at various farming scenarios.
- How to mitigate the impacts of development on the local ecosystem.
Using some of these options can help save money, increase crop production, and conserve valuable water. By understanding the unique needs of each region and its resources will help us design modern irrigation systems that are resilient, efficient, and sustainable. It’s the critical first step toward creating agricultural success in the future.
Irrigated farmland increases crop consistency and yield.
Expanding your irrigated farmland footprint
Expanding irrigated farmland isn’t just about growing crops. It also grows communities, supports families, and contributes to global food security. Saskatchewan can play a crucial role in helping with the rising demand for food. The province is known worldwide as a consistent and reliable supplier of safe, high-quality products. They include grains, oilseeds, pulses, livestock, and agri-food products. In 2023, Saskatchewan agriculture exports were the largest on record, with total international sales of $20.2 billion. The “breadbasket” province is also a leader in agricultural sustainability. And that’s something that all Canadians can be proud of as we feed families here at home and those around the world.
With a growing demand, Saskatchewan and its irrigation systems need to keep up. Right now, there is about 431,000 acres of irrigated farmland in the province. The goal? To boost that number, starting with a 90,000-acre expansion. How? By tapping into Lake Diefenbaker, which holds 7.6 million acres of water. That’s plenty of volume for modern irrigation.
That’s what started the $4 billion Westside Irrigation Project (WIRP). It is the largest modern irrigation project in Western Canada. It will increase the total irrigated farmland in Saskatchewan by 20 percent. It should add $5.9 billion in gross domestic product over the next 50 years.
Of course, it’s not as simple as just building infrastructure. With the scope and price tag a major irrigation expansion can bring, efficiency is critical. With a project like WIRP, you need to consider:
- The project’s impact on the environment.
- How much water is available.
- If the soil is suitable.
- How much the project will cost. Cost planning might also include how to find the necessary funding.
- The project’s timeline.
- Any unforeseen risks that could affect the previous factors, and how to prevent them.
All these factors need to be considered throughout the project lifecycle to make sure the benefit is there for the community. It is important to modernize irrigation, but the projects also need to make sense locally. That’s why, as part of our joint venture with MPE, our team worked to get the cost-per-acre to around $13,000—down from $22,000.
Expanding irrigation will help position the province as a leader in food production. More irrigation also helps adapt to climate change and the growing global food demand. Projects like WIRP demonstrate the power of innovation, collaboration, and long-term planning to create meaningful change.
Expanding irrigated farmland isn’t just about growing crops. It also grows communities, supports families, and contributes to global food security.
Optimizing your existing infrastructure to deliver water better
Alberta’s focus is to improve the irrigation that already exists. The average crop in Alberta takes about 14 inches of water per acre to grow to maturity. The water that Alberta has is already allocated. And increasing pressure means areas like Saint Mary’s, the largest irrigation district in North America, needs to cut its agricultural water allocation back to around 8-to-9 inches per acre. So, how does a province with 1.7 million acres of irrigated farmland support its agriculture when increasing water use is not an option?
Alberta is modernizing its irrigation. How? It starts with a $915 million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
The loan will help the province convert open canals to pipelines and add technology like SCADA, which monitors soil moisture. Closed canals reduce water loss from evaporation and soil seepage. In farming, uncontrolled soil seepage can damage the soil’s structure, reduce agricultural yield, and have negative environmental impacts. So, it’s important to manage seepage during farming and land conservation. Alberta is also constructing additional storage reservoirs to increase the amount of water available during low-rainfall periods. With less waste, the same amount of water can sustain more projects.
Greater efficiency can also lead to more growth. In fact, MPE recently worked with us to develop a conceptual design for irrigating 108,000 acres of land using the Red Deer River. By improving the existing system, the province opens the door to new projects without burdening the current water supply.
Canola is Alberta’s most popular crop. It can take up to 20 inches of water per acre to grow properly.
Applying irrigation strategies in your community
Modern irrigation means more consistency for farmers. They already contend with blights, natural disasters, and more. A reliable water source simplifies their work and helps us get the food we need. A consistent supply of farm products also means that secondary businesses can also support the local economy.
While each irrigation district will face unique challenges, you can expect most work to include research, expansion, and optimization. Although it may seem odd to talk about innovating a concept that has existed for 6,000 years, there’s always opportunity to improve our processes. Finding a partner to modernize your irrigation means more food and a stronger agricultural economy. It’s an ongoing process, but it is our responsibility to preserve our planet’s most important natural resource. The best time to start building a better agricultural future is right now.