On-farm water conservation practices in southern Alberta

In southern Alberta, as elsewhere, pressures on limited water supplies are increasing. Not surprisingly, a great deal of attention has been focused on irrigated agriculture, which accounts for the largest share of water consu med in the region. In order to meet broadly accepted water conservation goa ls, some commentators have suggested that irrigation water use should be me tered and that irrigators should be charged based on the amount of water us ed. An alternative proposal would have water management authorities rely up on the perceived adaptability of irrigators. This paper offers a perspectiv e on the willingness of irrigators to conserve water. Based on a survey of 183 irrigation farmers conducted over the summer and e arly fall of 1998, we found that irrigators are generally aware of the need to conserve water and soil moisture, and that a variety of water conservin g strategies were being employed. Water saving technologies specific to irr igation agriculture were less widely adopted. The findings suggest that the re is considerable potential to reduce the amount of water consumed by the irrigation sector through increased efficiency, but that change will be lim ited if current economic circumstances and institutional arrangements persi st.