Irrigation is defined as the application of water to land or crops to help growth; however, in Saskatchewan, irrigation has a much deeper meaning. Irrigation means having a reliable water supply for agriculture to boost crop yields, support economic growth and enhance food security and environmental sustainability.
In regions like Saskatchewan, annual precipitation is often insufficient to meet the needs of certain crops, such as vegetables. Irrigation can help to meet those needs, unlocking new crops for Saskatchewan, decreasing the need for imports and creating more jobs. The Saskatchewan government’s Growth Plan aims to add 85,000 irrigated acres by 2030. With a growing need to feed the world, Saskatchewan has a significant opportunity to continue and expand its already vital role in the world agriculture supply.
What is Irrigation?
Irrigation is a process through which water is supplied to crops to promote growth, maintain soil moisture and ensure adequate yields. The higher the yield, the more food is produced per unit of land. Unlike rainfall, which can be unpredictable and unevenly distributed, irrigation allows producers to control the timing and amount of water their crops receive. This control is critical for optimizing crop health and limiting the effects of drought to ensure consistent production.
An example of how irrigation is beneficial is to compare crops to house plants. People typically water their plants before their plants need water. They have control over the watering of their plants. Irrigation allows producers to do the same, on a much larger scale. They now have more control over the watering of their crops, as opposed to waiting for rain to fall.
How Does Irrigation Work?
Irrigation involves diverting water from sources such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs or groundwater and applying it across fields. In Saskatchewan, Lake Diefenbaker is the largest source of water for irrigation.
There are various methods and irrigation systems that can be employed, each with varying levels of efficiency, cost and complexity. An irrigation system needs a few key components: a water source, a distribution network (pumps, pipes, canals or ditches) and delivery mechanisms (sprinklers, drip emitters, etc.).
The efficiency of irrigation systems varies depending on the method used. The most common method in Saskatchewan, accounting for over half the province’s irrigated acres, is centre pivot irrigation, which operates like a large overhead sprinkler system. This method has a water efficiency rating of roughly 80-90 per cent, ensuring that more water reaches the crops where they need it and less is wasted. Other types of irrigation in Saskatchewan include drip (typically small scale for horticulture), linear pivots, volume guns, wheel moves, sub-surface and flood.
An example of how irrigation works is to compare it to a lawn sprinkler. Imagine you are trying to keep your lawn lush and green during a hot, dry summer. You might use a sprinkler system connected to your garden hose to distribute water evenly over the grass. That, in essence, is what irrigation does.
In both cases, the basic principle is to move water from a source to the areas that need it. For your lawn, the water source is your home’s plumbing, which supplies the sprinkler. In agriculture, irrigation systems draw water from rivers, reservoirs or lakes. Instead of a single sprinkler head spraying water onto a small patch of grass, producers use extensive networks of pipes, canals, or specially designed irrigation systems to distribute water across vast fields of crops.
The sprinkler distributes water evenly to ensure that all parts of your lawn receive enough moisture to stay healthy. Similarly, irrigation allows producers to deliver water precisely where it’s needed. Both methods aim to conserve water while ensuring that plants get what they need to thrive.
Why Irrigation?
In the next 40 years, the world needs to produce the equivalent of all the food produced in the last 10,000 years. Saskatchewan plays a major role in global agriculture, but the weather determines what crops producers can grow and unpredictable precipitation makes it difficult to get consistent yields. Irrigation will play an important role for Saskatchewan to continue to grow and contribute more to global food production. With irrigation, Saskatchewan can help feed the province as well as the world in a sustainable, adaptable and reliable way as irrigation allows producers to expand into higher value crops and table crops because of the certainty of applying water.
Saskatchewan also is home to the largest untapped source of water in the country: Lake Diefenbaker. It has roughly three times the storage capacity of all southern Alberta combined, yet only a fraction of the irrigated acres. Alberta doesn’t have a large storage capacity yet created almost 1.6 million irrigated acres versus Saskatchewan’s 166,000 acres in the Lake Diefenbaker area.
Irrigation will have positive economic and environmental impacts. Economically, higher yields will lead to increased GDP for the province which can provide a variety of benefits for residents across various sectors and communities. Irrigation also offers environmental benefits. Properly managed irrigation systems can enhance soil health, reduce erosion and support biodiversity. By providing a reliable water source, irrigation can help maintain wetland habitats and support wildlife populations through reservoir development.
The province’s goal with irrigation is similar to planting a tree. Both will see their true benefits unfold over time. A tree starts as a small seedling, gradually growing to provide shade, oxygen and even fruit, enriching the environment and benefiting future generations. Similarly, irrigation infrastructure begins as an investment in water management, but over the years, it boosts agricultural productivity, strengthens food security and attracts economic opportunities.
In Saskatchewan, irrigation is not just a tool—it’s a commitment to securing a future where producers can thrive despite unpredictable weather, where communities can grow stronger through job creation and where the province can lead the way in tackling global challenges like food security. Irrigation not only helps grow crops, but helps grow the province and its people.
For more information on irrigation in the province, you can visit https://www.wsask.ca/ or email us at client.service@wsask.ca.