Water Supply Update
Below is the most recent information regarding the water supply situation, based on the latest Irrigation Water Supply Forecast supplied by Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (AG&I).
The St. Mary Headworks Reservoirs, made up of the Waterton, St. Mary and Ridge reservoirs, are sitting at 94% of Irrigation Storage FSL (Full Supply Limit) with 451,500 acre-feet of storage. SMRID Reservoirs have made gains in storage since our April update and are all within SMRID’s operating curve and contain 288,500 acre-feet of storage, or 92% of our Irrigation FSL.
Akamina’s snow pillows began to drop rapidly at the end of April and is showing no Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) at the elevation of the pillow, although some run off from snow at higher elevations will continue as seasonal temperatures rise. Snowpack at Many Glacier was depleted significantly by the end of March, 2026.
The Flat Top Snow Pillow started to drop off early in May and has continued trending downward, as temperatures rise, although SWE remains between the upper and lower quartiles.
SMRID’s AGM will be held on June 4, 2026 in Taber, Alberta at the Community Centre (4720 C 50 St, Taber, AB T1G 2B6).
The AGM is an important opportunity to hear updates on the upcoming projects and other district initiatives. We encourage Irrigators to join us and stay informed on what is happening in the District.
The Board of Directors is scheduled to meet before the AGM to discuss allocation again prior to the AGM. Should the Board decide to make any changes to the 2026 allocation, those changes will be communicated at the AGM.
We will continue to communicate with our irrigators in the coming months and provide scheduled monthly updates throughout the growing season. The next email update is tentatively scheduled for June 26.
Sincerely,
David Westwood
General Manager
St. Mary River Irrigation District