Environmental Groups
Nature Alberta
Nature Alberta is a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation
and nature appreciation through outreach programs across the province.
On March 31, 2021, the organization published an open letter to the
Government of Alberta titled Concerns Regarding a Proposed Irrigation
Expansion Project in Southern Alberta.
The letter called for the project to be “subject to environmental assessment, regulatory review, and opportunities for public and Indigenous consultation and input.”
Key concerns outlined in the letter included the impact of irrigation-related water withdrawals on aquatic ecosystems, increased off-stream water shortages, and insufficient consideration of broader environmental, social, and economic factors.
Alberta Wilderness Association
Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the conservation of Alberta’s natural landscapes, wildlife,
and waters. AWA has been actively monitoring and reporting on the
Chin Reservoir expansion project through news releases and articles on its website.
One article, for example, contrasts the proposed irrigation expansion with worsening drought conditions across the Prairies. AWA’s coverage also includes updates on the project’s regulatory timeline, such as its exemption from a federal impact assessment in June 2022, commentary on the project’s Proposed Terms of Reference in December 2022, and the release of the provincial environmental impact assessment in July 2024.
In response to the denial of a federal impact assessment, AWA conservation specialist Phillip Meintzer explained the organization's concerns to Western Producer in 2022:
“We didn’t start out saying there was going to be a problem with this project. It was more just wondering if environmental concerns were being addressed or looked at in any sort of way. As things have gone along and as we’ve learned, we’ve just realized that they really haven’t.”
One of AWA’s key concerns was the limited scope for public input under the provincial assessment process. Meintzer noted:
“The issue is you have to be directly affected or adversely affected to submit comments, concerns or at least to be heard. That restricts the ability for environmental groups to get involved.” – via the Western Producer
Ecojustice
Ecojustice is Canada’s largest environmental law charity,
dedicated to advancing environmental justice and protecting vulnerable populations and communities across the country from an ecological standpoint.
In 2021, Ecojustice, on behalf of nine interested parties, including Alberta Wilderness Association, and the Blood Tribe/Kainai and Siksika First Nations, formally requested a federal impact assessment of the broader Alberta irrigation modernization and expansion project, which encompasses the Chin Reservoir expansion. The request was denied in 2022 by then-Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault.
