News · Transfers
Bow corridor
BRID to Cochrane consumptive transfer approved
EPA authorization DAUT0020157 records a permanent 750 acre-foot transfer from the Bow River Irrigation District to the Town of Cochrane, approved 7 January 2025.
On 7 January 2025, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas issued authorization DAUT0020157 for a permanent consumptive allocation transfer to the Town of Cochrane. Volume is about 750 acre-feet per year. Priority 1992 is carried from the source licence held in the Bow River Irrigation District system.
BRID held a public meeting on the proposal in December 2023. Meeting materials discussed cash consideration in a range near $5.25 million to $5.78 million under a 10 percent holdback scenario. Final paid price is not confirmed in public town releases; treat those figures as meeting-discussion signals until Section 81.1 disclosures or further primary documents settle the number.
The Alberta Wilderness Association filed a statement of concern in September 2024 requesting holdback under Section 83. Meeting packages also noted EPA might require up to 75 acre-feet of holdback on the 750 acre-foot transfer.
This consumptive BRID deal is distinct from Cochrane's 2024 Camp Jubilee acquisition, which moved a large non-consumptive Girl Guides licence into municipal hands in exchange for town water servicing. Together the two filings show how a closed Bow watershed municipality assembles allocation through transfer rather than new licences.
Sources
- BRID 2025 Expansion Proposal (notes approved 750 AF Cochrane transfer)
- December 2023 Public Meeting, proposed BRID transfer to Cochrane
- ERV authorization DAUT0020157
- Water Register case page: Cochrane / BRID consumptive
Related
Water Register restates publicly available information in a reference format. It is not legal, engineering, or regulatory advice. Transfer approval remains at the discretion of Alberta Environment and Protected Areas or the Alberta Energy Regulator. Verify all licence details against the Environmental Records Viewer before transaction decisions.