Although no application had been made as of early January, extensive research around a potential irrigation project in the Lac Sante area is being done.
Evan Chrapko, a cereal entrepreneur whose family has been farming in the area for many years, confirmed the project, and offered more details on plans for the area.
Conversations are taking place, and research is being done, regarding the potential irrigation project in the area, which could potentially see water drawn from Lac Sante, or possibly the nearby North Saskatchewan River.
Chrapko believes the project could be a “triple-win,” offering benefits not only to the Chrapko’s farming operation, but it could also result in environmental benefits to the lake, and benefits to those who living in the area.
There are indications in the research that has been done so far that an irrigation project could actually help replenish the lake, which has been receding, said Chrapko.
He believes there have been some “widely exaggerated fears” floating around, but admits it is a natural reaction when people don’t have all the “data” available. Chrapko confirms that a lot of money has already been spent on gathering that data, and hiring engineers to explore the project.
Kellee Dawson is among the area residents who are voicing opposition to the idea of seeing an irrigation project take water from Lac Sante. The long-time resident says she is “greatly opposed” to the proposal.
“I will fight for my lake and the delicate ecosystem around it,” said Dawson, in an email to the Journal. “Taking water out of a lake that has been consistently falling for years in not responsible, nor is it morally right.”
Dawson does not agree that water would return to the lake, as has been stated by Chrapko.
“The idea that a sudden return of water through rainfall is going to retain the lake’s current levels is not a realistic statement or observation. Draining the lake will also drain the life out of the ecosystem surrounding the lake,” she says.
But, Chrapko says, “The impact to the lake would be negligible.” He compared the potential impact to Lac Sante as what happens at Lac St. Cyr, which is located southeast of St. Paul. At Lac St. Cyr, water is diverted from the North Saskatchewan River into the lake, and then treated at the St. Paul Water Treatment plant, and consumed by residents of the town.
Feeding water from the river to Lac Sante is an option that is being explored, he also confirmed.
Nicole Beart and her family have also spoken out against the proposed project.
“There is great concern from residents at Lac Sante about potential irrigation, as the lake has already dropped significantly,” she said. “Using a construction level a few years ago, we shot levels to see how much the lake had gone down, and it has gone down over 12’ in the past 20 years alone.”
She added that although she agrees that water would theoretically return to the lake, she remains concerned because of the trend being seen where many Alberta lakes are in fact receding.
“This past summer aside, we have not been getting enough snow or rainfall each year to stop lake levels from falling. Irrigation would affect lake levels substantially and have a negative impact on the aquatic life, birds and animals that make their homes at Lac Sante or near its shores.”
Beart added that residents she has spoken with do support agricultural irrigation from the North Saskatchewan River, “as it’s a renewable and replenish able water source.”
The Chrapko family has land in both the counties of St. Paul and Two Hills, and along the lake itself. Chrapko is hoping that his family’s background in organic farming will ease some of the concerns that are being voiced.
“We are organic farmers. We have been for a very long time,” he says, adding, his dad was well known for his work in organic farming. The environment and health of the entire ecosystem matters “a great deal” to the Chrapko family.
Chrapko explains that the water used for irrigation purposes would go back into the lake, since the land where the water would be used is in the same watershed as the lake. He adds that it is not like an oil company that takes water from a body and hauls it away to be used; rather, the water is being used in the same area it is being taken from.
“In our case, we’re simply applying it to the land, and letting it naturally get back to the lake, and purified through our soil,” says Chrapko. He adds that as organic farmers, there aren’t any pesticides or herbicides being used on crops they grow.
“We’re as close as you’re going to get to ancient Mother Nature,” he adds. He explains that crops being grown by the family in the area include alfalfa, peas, wheat, barley, and hemp.
“Hemp is one of the heritage crops,” he explains, which has proven to be extraordinarily hard to harvest and has resulted in the family having to find new and creative way to deal with challenges as they come up.
But, this is also the crop that Dawson believes has resulted in the need for the proposed irrigation project.
“I wholeheartedly agree with shopping local and supporting local farmers with local crops. Hemp is not a local crop and requires a significant amount of water to grow,” says Dawson.
“We don’t shy away from being innovative or bring good stewards of the land,” says Chrapko. The family has other businesses that have been operating for quite some time, such as the organic winery, also situated in the Lac Sante area.
As for the potential irrigation project, “We’re incurring significant costs at doing this the right way,” says Chrapko. He says he felt things were very open at a meeting held with the County of Two Hills, last year, when speaking of the project.
He says he was happy that people showed up to listen at that specific meeting. And although council had expressed a desire to not allow members of the public talk during the presentation, presenters asked for an exception because they wanted to hear feedback.
In southern Alberta, irrigation is done often, and there is a lot of cooperation around projects, says Chrapko. In northern Alberta, there are fewer irrigation projects, which he feels explains why people are unsure of the project.
Financially, to accomplish the irrigation project in northern Alberta, “seven figures will have to be invested,” says Chrapko. He notes that there are no timelines in place for the project, but the window to see some cost savings during the economic downturn will eventually disappear.
“We can’t compete with the oil and gas guys.”
He adds that being an agricultural project, the value is only seen on a season-by-season basis. When an oil company does a pipeline, the company sees benefits 24 hours a day, every day, says Chrapko. “We’re only getting the value of an agricultural crop.”
And although the economics aren’t always necessarily there, a key of the triple-win mandate is to look beyond the economics, says Chrapko.
