Prolonged lack of precipitation across the province has prompted some 18 municipalities to declare states of agriculture disaster, including Wheatland County and nearby Special Areas Board.
Combined with high temperatures, the prolonged lack of moisture has created drought conditions, stunted crop growth, and low yields.
While Wheatland County has declared a state of agriculture disaster, so far, none have been declared in either Kneehill County or Starland County.
Kneehill County manager of Parks and Agriculture Services Shelby Sherwick says the decision will be considered by council at the next regular council meeting on Tuesday, August 17.
Starland County Agriculture Fieldman Ryan Hallett also notes the decision whether to declare an agriculture disaster will be left up to council at the August council meeting.
“Canola and wheat are hanging on, but barley has been impacted and hay will have low yields,” Hallett tells the Mail. He notes soil moisture reserves in Starland County are down “quite a bit” when comparing year over year levels.
However, Hallett adds, “Some municipalities are seeing 1:50 and 1:100 year droughts. Some sloughs are dry which would normally be there.”

Communities throughout Alberta are feeling a pinch to their budget as the province rolls back the payments for its Grants in Place of Taxes Program.
The Grants in place of Taxes Programs is a system where the province will provide municipalities a grant rather than paying taxes for a property in the community. This year the province reduced that payment by about 50 per cent.
Director of Corporate Services, Mauricio Reyes, tells the Mail there are five properties in the Town of Drumheller that are owned by the province, that are eligible for the program. These include the provincial court house, the provincial building, a property owned by Fish and Wildlife, and property owned by Alberta Transportation.
“The courthouse has the highest assessment,” said Reyes.
He says normally they would collect about $61,000 from the program, but that has been reduced.
“The province is only paying 50 per cent of what we would normally expect to collect,” he explains. “We knew that would likely be the case, so in our budget, we have an allowance to be able to cover that loss.”
Going forward, the town will have to deal with further reductions in funding from the province, including the Municipal Sustainability Initiative Grants.
“Not this year, but we are going to see action in the next couple of years, that is when we are going to see reductions. That will be 2022 and 2023,” he said. “It will be quite a steep reduction. We are going to be adjusting our 10-year capital plan accordingly.”