Dear Irrigators,
Below is the most recent information regarding the water supply situation.
Please note that based on the latest Irrigation Water Supply Forecast supplied by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AG&I), the Board of Directors expect the 2025 allocation to remain at 12-inches for the remainder of the 2025 water season.
The St. Mary Headworks Reservoirs, made up of the Waterton, St. Mary and Ridge reservoirs, have been gaining in storage with the gradual increase in runoff and are sitting at 73% of Irrigation Storage FSL (Full Supply Limit) with 351,000 acre-feet of storage. SMRID Reservoirs have made minor gains in storage since our April update and contain 276,000 acre-feet of storage, or 87% of our Irrigation FSL.
Akamina and Many Glacier’s snow pillows began to drop rapidly at the end of April and are both showing no Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) at the elevation of the pillows, although some run off from snow at higher elevations will continue as seasonal temperatures rise.
The Flat Top Snow Pillow started to drop off early in May and has continued the trend well below the lower quartile. The snowpack is diminishing approximately 2 weeks earlier than it was in 2024.
AG&I has continued to divert flows in the Waterton and Belly Diversion Canals adding to storage in the St. Mary Reservoir.
We will continue to communicate with our irrigators in the coming months and provide scheduled monthly updates throughout the growing season. The next update is tentatively scheduled for June 27.
Sincerely,
David Westwood
General Manager
St. Mary River Irrigation District