Southern Alberta water market sells to highest - and driest - bidder
THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY

It was a year ago today that Alberta turned off the tap to any new water licences in its arid south and effectively created Canada's
first private market.

Now those who have water to spare can sell to the highest and driest bidder.

One mayor from the province's south says many communities are facing serious water issues and have no other choice but to try to buy permits from others.

Experts predict similar markets to pop up across the country as water grows increasingly scarce.

International water expert David Schindler says Alberta is setting a dangerous precedent.

He says in the American Southwest there is no water left in the Colorado River and the highest bidders are the large cities.

Alberta is starting an internal review of its water policies.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE: There are some questions which have arisen from one of our coalition members as well as some comments. They are;
1. Have you seen this one?
2. If you have, has Council of Canadians been advised?
3. Have you seen any reaction from Council of Canadians or any groups similar to ours in Alberta? Good to see that Dr. Schindler is on the case.
4. Has CUPE reacted anywhere?
Alberta is going to get in the same pickle as DFO is with commercial fishing licences. If the right legal structure is not in place the licences will end up being held by the biggest entities. During a tour of the Oyster River Enhancement Society's hatchery on July 27 their members told us that Jimmy Pattison effectively owns 60 per cent of the commercial salmon licences. Slowly but surely the private liquor outlets in B.C. are going to be owned by three or four large companies - all squeezing the Liquor Board to increase the margins under which they operate.

This is very interesting. I don't think water licences can be sold in B.C. unless they are also sold with the land to which they belong. Licences belong to a parcel of land and must show a withdrawal point and a point of usage. (I guess a motivated water licence buyer would just buy the land as well.) A licence to extract water for irrigation purposes could not be sold such that the water would be used for say domestic or water utility purposes. We might have to become more knowledgeable in the intricacies of B.C. surface water rights - there is no groundwater withdrawal licensing, but maybe we need some.

Did you see the "Olympic report" tonight? All the farms around Beijing have no water this summer so the city could have all it needs for fountains, gardens and rowing facilities. One wonders whether the diverted water will ever be "returned" to the farmers. The water table under Beijing is dropping 20 feet per year.

I have advised the CofC and CUPE and we'll just have to wait and see if we get any response.