Raymond Irrigation District
March 2025 Board Meeting Highlights
  • The agenda for the meeting was approved on motion by Craig Palmer and carried.
  • Approval of the Minutes of the February 19, 2025 board meetings were approved on motion by Rod Wendorff and carried.

Business Arising

  • O&M Report and AIM Project Update:

Cody shared a slideshow of pictures taken over the last month of repairs & maintenance and pipelining activities. Jason reported on the status of each project as follows:

9 Mile & North (IRP) – The crew has been working 9 hour days to get this project completed on time. The goal is to have the main trunk and the Baker subline completed by this Friday. That would leave about 200m of pipeline to be completed next week. We will then have some back filling, riser installation and discing to be completed. We hope to have everything completed by the end of March.

Gravity Pressure Pipeline System (“GPS”) (AIM) – Darin from WBES has shared the draft inlet structure design with Jason and Cody. After making some modifications, the design will be ready to submit to AGI for their approval. We also need to get the final easements in place, after which, we will submit our pipe order.

8-2 (Internally Funded Project) – The first phase of this project is installed, but there are a few tie ins and work to be completed so that irrigators on the first phase can use the new system. By the 2nd week of April we hope to have all the final work completed and the 1st phase ready for the 2025 season.  

  • Snowpack Report / Water Supply Forecast / RID Diversions:

The Board reviewed the snowpack and reservoir graphs on the Alberta Rivers website. The reservoir levels are looking good, but the snowpack is below the average quartile range. Next month the Board will review AGI’s spring allocation predictions and start to work on setting the 2025 allocation.

  • Irrican Update:

The battery system should be up and running by early April. The Chin control system upgrades are going well and should be ready for the 2025 season.

We have changed our annual report slightly this year. We have printed the various reports, but have not included the financial statements. The auditor always provides the final statement on the day of the AGM. This makes printing for the meeting difficult. This year we have included a QR code on the back of the annual report package that links to the online version, which will be updated to include the finalized audited financial statements.

Patrick from MWG was admitted virtually into the meeting. Patrick presented the financial statements for the Board’s review.

On motion made by Craig Palmer and carried, the RID Board approves the 2024 financial statements as presented by MWG.

  • Seminar and AGM Review:

The Board reviewed the agenda for the seminar and AGM. Everything is lined up and RID staff are ready for the meeting. The Board also viewed the centennial video prepared by Branson Palmer. The Board was very happy with the video and excited to share it with the irrigators at the seminar.

  • Phones:

Jason and Amanda reported that we have switched are cell service to Telus. Unfortunately, Telus has been very difficult to work with. Amanda has spent hours on the phone with technical service trying to resolve phone issues. As a result of this headache, we are preparing to move our cell service to Rogers. Rogers is offering a very similar deal and has better coverage in our area.

  • Annual Agreements Acres:

Jason reported that he has continued to receive requests for annual acres. The Board discussed the pros and cons to using annual agreements. The discussion ended with 3 criteria to consider when looking at whether or not to issue additional annual agreements.

  • The parcel is too small for permanent irrigation acres
    1. The parcel is difficult to deliver too, but there is sufficient spill water for them to use (i.e. users east of the Etzikom weir).
    1. The parcel is part of a new pipeline addition (i.e. the cross-coulee line), where there are insufficient permanent irrigation acres available and the intention is that once new acres are available, the users will purchase them.

In addition, to these 3 situations, the parcel needs to be classified as irrigable.

New Business

  • Directors’ Items:

No additional director items were noted.

  • Transfer of Acres:

An individual is subdividing his parcel into 2 acre parcels. He currently has 10 irrigation acres on the parcel. As part of the subdivision process Jason advised the landowner that the 10 irrigation acres would have to be removed from the parcel. The landowner requested that the RID purchase acres back.

On motion made by Craig Palmer and carried, the RID Board approves purchase 10 acres from the landowner for $2,000/acre.

  • HPA Requests:

Jason presented 4 HPA requests:

  1. Ryan McDonald (part of the Smith estates line)
  2. Henry Willms (east of the main canal – has already receive permission from SMRID to pump from the canal)
  3. Shane Haplen (will replace his permanent irrigation acres)
  4. Judd McNabb (on the 9 Mile – Lloyd Dennis HPA line)

On motion made by Rod Wendorff and carried, the RID Board approves the HPA agreements noted above (McDonald, Willms, Haplen and McNabb).

  1. Partial Allocation Transfers for 2025:

The Board discussed whether not to allow partial allocation transfer for 2025. Jason reported that we have received 1 request so far (65 acres on NE 12-6-20-W4). The Board decided the following:

  1. Parcels must be on the assessment roll to receive partial allocation.
  2. Irrigators cannot setup new systems on parcels that are not on the assessment roll and expect to transfer a portion of their allocation to it each year.
  3. Irrigators are allowed to juggle allocation within their own operations, that is to say, on parcels that are on the assessment roll, but they must coordinate any movement of allocation with their ditch rider.
  4. The same principles are in effect as determined by RID Board in February 2024:
    1. Water allotments cannot be traded to or acquired from land in other irrigation districts.
    1. Any irrigator can trade any portion of their water allotment from any parcel to any other irrigator in the RID.
    1. The office must be informed of all trades. Both parties must sign a trade agreement specifying the number of inches and the parcels involved in the trade and submit it to the office.
    1. The number of inches traded must be specified from the originating parcel, which will be converted to a volume. That volume will then be converted back to inches on the receiving parcel. For example, if the originating parcel has 148 irrigation acres and trades 2 inches, that parcel’s allotment will be reduced by 2 inches, but the receiving parcel will receive 24.67 acre feet of water. If the receiving parcel has 135 irrigation acres, its allotment will be increased by 2.2 inches.
    1. Water from one originating parcel can be traded to more than one receiving parcel, and receiving parcels can acquire water from more than one originating parcel.
  • IRP Funding:

Jason reported that in the provincial budget update the GOA announces commitment to maintain IRP funding at $19M for the next 3 years. This means that the RID will receive approximately $700K (included the RID portion) per year from IRP funding for the next 3 years.

  • Irrigation Council Recruitment:

Jason reported that irrigation council has 2 spots to fill and they have extended their recruitment to March 26. The Board discussed possible RID irrigators that could fill a spot on council.

  • Next Meeting Date:

The next meeting is set for April 16, 2025

Motion to adjourn – There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 2:55 pm on motion by Craig Palmer.