FUN FACTS: Water & Irrigation in Vulcan County

Water: Getting our feet wet
This mission takes you into the world of water and its importance to Vulcan County. Stand on the Vulcan County prairie and look up, waaaaaaaaaay up at the clouds – those puffy cottonballs and misty hazes of white far above you. What is a cloud and how did it get there? Good questions – let’s look for answers in the never-ending water cycle. After a rainstorm you will see water everywhere – dripping down the sides of grain bins, clinging to heads of wheat, and pooling in roadside ditches. Though much of this rainfall is absorbed deep into the soil, water in lakes or remaining on the ground is quickly heated by the “Vulcan sun”. Some of this surface water evaporates, turning into a gas and rising into the air. The water vapour travels with the prairie winds and is sometimes carried up to where the low pressure and low temperature condense the vapour into a liquid form, which we see as clouds! If the cloud gets big enough the drops become too heavy and drop back to the ground as precipitation: rain, or, if it’s cold enough, snow! The cycle is complete!

Just think – the water you drank this morning could be the same water a pterodactyl drank from a pond millions of years ago, and the same water your great grandchild might taste one hundred years from now as he or she bites into a kiwi from New Zealand.

Water – a world traveler
But wait… here is a puzzle! More water falls than is returned to the air by evaporation. Where does this “extra” water go? Much of this rainwater returns to the ocean in the form of rivers! Look at a map of Vulcan County – can you find large reservoirs, rivers and streams?

How do these water systems connect, and where do they go? Stop by the Bow River and toss in a leaf or small stick. Where do you think it might end up? After flowing into the South Saskatchewan River, then into the Saskatchewan River, the leaf will be carried North to Hudson Bay – a long way from home!

Much of the rainfall that returns to Vulcan County comes in clouds formed over the Pacific Ocean.

A lot of the moisture in these clouds falls on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, long before they cross into the prairies. This is why dry winds and low rainfall are so characteristic of Vulcan County.
When you have a glass of water, sip it slowly, and think of all the travelling it had to do to make it to your lips!

Water – it’s a matter of life or death

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!”
This saying may have been coined especially for Vulcan County. As you explore the region, you will notice water in the forms of lakes, rivers and reservoirs. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage, but this water is not always readily available to people, plants or animals.

Some adaptation that various life forms have made include:

• - Pronghorn Antelopes receive most of the water they need from the plants they eat.
• - Farmers haul water for personal use.
• - Cactus leaves are thick prickly spines that cut down on moisture loss.

And what about the crops? As you proceed on your mission, you will see mostly dryland (nonirrigated) farms. These farmers choose to grow crops that are hardy and need less moisture than on their neighbours’ irrigated properties. County farmers wanting to irrigate find that this method is not available to everybody. The soil type, drainage ability, water table, environmental impact and proximity to water are all factors that must be considered before irrigation is possible. About 6% of cropland in Vulcan County is irrigated. Engineers must understand the way water behaves before they can design a good irrigation system.

DID YOU KNOW: Water/ice
Water is a scientific rarity. Unlike most liquids, water expands when it freezes, making ice less dense than water. We are thereby able to spend our winter leisure time skating on the frozen surface, and fishing beneath it. What do you think would happen if water sank like most other liquids when it froze? What would happen to skating on ponds and ice fishing (not to mention the fish?)

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