logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
23m 15s

How did a Mormon town grab first dibs on...

CBC
About this episode

As Alberta struggles to navigate several years of dry conditions in the province, its historic water license system has come under scrutiny. In short, whoever got water rights first has first dibs on the water today.


One of the small towns that really benefits from this system is Magrath, established in 1899 by Mormon settlers from Utah and Idaho. But its senior water rights are becoming more contentious as other communities are forced to buy water amid an increasingly taxed supply.


We hear from CBC Calgary reporter Joel Dryden, who visited the town and tells us what the water rights debate is like today and whether any changes to those rights are on the table.


Help us make Front Burner even better by filling out our audience survey.

Up next
Yesterday
Trump’s ‘big lie’ in prime-time
In a nationally televised address last week, U.S. President Donald Trump repeated claims about fraud and foreign interference in the 2020 election and announced the release of declassified documents he says reveal a government cover-up.But with the midterms approaching, there rem ... Show More
26m 33s
Jul 17
The true toll of wildfire smoke
As the planet heats up, wildfire seasons are getting worse. Wildfires have caused mass destruction to homes and community infrastructure in Collins First Nation. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their communities across Northern Ontario. Fires continue to rage across ... Show More
28m 20s
Jul 16
Understanding the rise of ‘democratic socialism’
Recently, in the U.S., there’s been a wave of self described democratic socialists running for and winning elected office.There is the improbable case of Zohran Mamdani who won his New York mayoral campaign. But there are other high profile races where establishment incumbents ar ... Show More
37m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Groundwater Wars
Kingman, Arizona, a small farming town in the desert, is a cautionary tale in the West’s water crisis. About a decade ago, large corporate farms started moving into the desert of Mohave County, growing thirsty crops like alfalfa and nuts. At the time, there were practically no ru ... Show More
33m 38s
Jul 2023
Understanding the Real Fight Over Water in Arizona
Arizona recently announced new constraints on housing development in the areas around Phoenix. At issue is water rights and scarcity, which have been a challenge for the US Southwest for as long as people have been living there. That being said, the region is currently in the mid ... Show More
47m 27s
Sep 2023
Arizona’s Pipe Dream
<p>A Times investigation revealed that in much of the United States, communities and farms are pumping out groundwater at alarming rates. Aquifers are shrinking nationwide, threatening supplies of drinking water and the country’s status as a food superpower.</p><p>Christopher Fla ... Show More
39m 3s
Aug 2024
For whom the well tolls: Why we must price water
<p>Water scarcity is growing even in parts of the world that used to be drought-free. Since&nbsp; <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2024/08/26/the-poisonous-global-politics-of-water?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_conten ... Show More
24m 14s
Aug 2021
Stymie a river: the American West dries up
<p>The first-ever water shortage declared for the Colorado River is just one sign of troubles to come; as the climate changes, century-old water habits and policies must change with it. Israel’s Pegasus spyware has raised concerns the world over, but the country is <a href="https ... Show More
19m 14s
Jul 2022
Utah’s ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb’
<p>The Great Salt Lake is drying up.</p><p>Soaring demand for water, exacerbated by drought and higher temperatures in the region, are shrinking the waters, which play such a crucial role in the landscape, ecology and weather of Salt Lake City and Utah.</p><p>Can the lake be save ... Show More
32m 41s
Jan 2023
7 States, 1 River and an Agonizing Choice
<p>In the United States, 40 million people in seven states depend on water provided by the Colorado River.</p><p>After 20 years of drought, the situation is dire and the river is at risk of becoming a “deadpool,” a condition in which there is not enough water to pass through the ... Show More
23m 45s
Sep 2020
Well, Well, Well
In the 1990s, lakes and wetlands dried up in Florida’s fast-growing Tampa Bay region. Some attributed the drastic change to drought; others to overpumping of an underground aquifer. A pitched legal battle, known as the Water Wars, played out. Some government-run utilities wanted ... Show More
26m 20s
Nov 2023
Water, water, everywhere
As water supplies in the west dry up, finding solutions is critical. The good news is that water is all around us, if you know where to look and how to treat it. In this episode, we’re going on a road trip to check out the fascinating technology producing water from the sewer, th ... Show More
25m 18s