Alberta reopens water registration program for eligible grazing leaseholders

Alberta ranchers with historical agricultural water use on Crown grazing lands will have another opportunity to have that use formally recognized through a reopened Traditional Agricultural Registration (TAR) program.

The provincial government announced it is reopening the registration process for eligible historical agricultural water use on unpatented Crown land following a review conducted with the Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association (AGLA). The review identified errors and omissions in some historic records that may have left eligible water use unrecognized.

When the original TAR program closed in 2001, grazing leaseholders on Crown land were unable to apply directly because they did not own the land. Applications were submitted on their behalf, and subsequent reviews found that some registrations may have been incomplete or inaccurate.

According to the province, the reopened program is intended to give eligible ranchers to opportunity to have long-standing agricultural water use reviewed and recognized.

“Ranchers should not lose recognition of long-standing water rights because of mistakes or gaps in government records from more than two decades ago,” said Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.

The program applies to eligible agricultural water use that occurred before Jan. 1, 1999. Applications will be assessed using available historical information, which may include aerial imagery, water well drilling records and other supporting documentation.

The province estimates that approximately 6,800 registrations on unpatented Crown land could be eligible for review.

The AGLA welcomed the change.

“Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association appreciates the government recognizing this long-standing issue and giving eligible ranchers a fair opportunity to have their historical water use reviewed,” said Darwayne Claypool, chairman of the AGLA.

Applications for the reopened program will be accepted until Dec. 31, 2028.

Eligible use includes water used for raising livestock or applying pesticides on a farm unit, up to 6,250 cubic metres annually.

The province noted that the program will not create allocations for new water use, reopen registrations on private land, or alter existing licensed water allocations and priorities.

Additional information and application materials are available through Alberta’s Traditional Agricultural Registration program.