Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me to speak to the committee today. My name is Margo Jarvis Redelback. I am the executive director of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association. The association has represented the interests of Alberta's 13 irrigation districts since 1946.
My presentation today will focus on the threat and impact of aquatic invasive species to irrigated agriculture, specifically focusing on invasive mussel species. The Alberta irrigation industry has been involved in AIS prevention, eradication efforts and treatment option research for many years. Though these efforts have achieved some positive results, the risk of AIS to the irrigated region in Alberta is still great.
Municipal development and economic growth of this region are closely tied to the presence of the irrigation infrastructure. That infrastructure delivers water to about 1.4 million acres of agricultural land for food production. This is approximately 72% of Canada's irrigated land base. The infrastructure also conveys water to support the needs of 50 rural communities; industries, including value-added processing facilities; water-based recreation; wetlands; and wildlife habitat in this dry area of Alberta. The infrastructure is essentially critical infrastructure to this region.
The industry annually contributes $3.6 billion to Alberta's GDP and generates $1.26 billion in annual revenue to the governments of Canada and Alberta. It creates 56,000 full-time equivalent job positions across the entire province of Alberta. This is possible because of almost 8,000 kilometres of conveyance canals and buried water pipelines that, in combination with 57 storage reservoirs, reliably distribute water throughout the region.
To support increased water use efficiencies and to reduce water loss, 53% of this distribution system has been converted from above ground canals to underground pipelines, and 73% of the irrigated land base is now being irrigated by low-pressure drop tube pivot systems on the farm. This infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to invasive zebra and quagga mussels. Should mussels become established in the irrigation infrastructure, we expect disruption of water conveyance through our pipelines as well as significant ecological degradation of our irrigation reservoirs.
Currently, our industry has no approved chemical treatment options for invasive mussels. Potash appears to be the best candidate for chemical treatment, and the product is currently undergoing the lengthy approval process. We hope it will be approved but understand this could still be 12 to 18 months from occurring. It is our hope we will have this product available for use as a potential management option in case zebra and quagga mussels establish in our infrastructure. However, the product does not come without expense. Annual treatment costs of treating all irrigation district pipeline infrastructure with potash is estimated to be about $1.1 million. This value does not include the potential costs to treat irrigation reservoirs.
The most significant pathway of invasive mussel introduction into irrigation infrastructure is the transportation of contaminated watercraft across international and provincial borders into Alberta water bodies. Alberta irrigation has been collaborating with numerous organizations on AIS initiatives, including education and outreach campaigns, inspection and enforcement, monitoring activities and investigation of potential treatment options.
To date, the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association has contributed financial and in-kind resources of more than $250,000 toward AIS initiatives. Individual irrigation districts have also contributed significant financial and in-kind resources to AIS prevention activities over and above that delivered through the association. No federal funds have been received to support AIS prevention work in the irrigated region of Alberta. This is concerning as greater and more strategic activities are required to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species into and across Canada.
Suggestions on additional AIS efforts include more stringent and coordinated inspection and enforcement of trailered watercraft at the international boundary with inspection and decontamination activities conducted on site; mandatory decontamination of watercraft leaving Canadian water bodies infested with invasive mussels; additional funding programs and opportunities to maintain and grow current monitoring activities by assisting organizations in carrying out the field portion of monitoring; additional funding sources lending assistance to organizations to examine, develop and implement AIS management strategies; and, of course, streamlining the registration process for chemical treatment options to ensure more products are available if this type of treatment is necessary.
The ongoing efforts of the irrigation industry in Alberta and its collaborating partners have achieved some positive results here. Recognizing the risk of AIS establishment to its industry, particularly the establishment of invasive mussel species, the Alberta irrigation industry has taken a lead in prevention efforts. However, our province and our region require additional partnerships, most notably with the Government of Canada, to continue to strengthen attempts to prevent AIS establishment.
Thank you.