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Acreage guides for towns in this county: Bonnyville · Cold Lake

Location of MD of Bonnyville in Alberta
MD of Bonnyville within Alberta

Farming in MD of Bonnyville, Alberta: Water, Wells and Frost-Free Days

If you run a working farm in MD of Bonnyville, four things set your season: how much water you can count on, how long the frost-free window is, which fields are wet or regulated, and what it costs to fix them. County figures are a starting point for a farm plan. They are not a parcel survey.

Mixed farms with cattle, hay, and grain, plus a strong oil-and-gas service economy. Surface lease income and road traffic shape many farm decisions.

Well depth and water table for farm operators

Nearby well records suggest completed wells around 47 m deep in MD of Bonnyville, with static water levels often in the 11–18 m range. The predominant aquifer on file is Buried-channel sands over Lea Park shale, with Belly River sandstone to the south. These figures come from a Land Intelligence report run on a representative quarter in the county (NE 33-61-6-W4; 363 provincial well records within 5 km), not from your parcel.

Bonnyville country is lake-rich and oil-rich, with many farms sharing quarters with heavy-oil wells. Buried glacial channels carry the best groundwater; the underlying shale yields little, so neighbouring wells can differ by tens of metres.

For livestock, plan for peak summer demand and for winter freeze-up. For irrigation, a well rarely replaces a licensed surface source, and diverting water for irrigation generally needs a Water Act licence. Only a pump test tells you yield, and a county average does not.

Frost-free days and hardiness zone

MD of Bonnyville is generally treated as hardiness zone 2b, with a frost-free window on the order of 105 days. The zone is read from the Natural Resources Canada plant hardiness map (4th edition, 1991–2020 normals) at a representative quarter; frost dates are a regional table keyed by zone, not a logger on your fence.

Zone 3a with about 100 frost-free days, moderated near the larger lakes. Low ground along the Beaver River frosts early.

Match variety maturity to the shorter, colder number, not the longer one. After an early harvest, a cover crop needs seed in the ground fast, and a 4R nitrogen plan helps you time inputs to the season you actually get. More on the zone: hardiness zone in MD of Bonnyville.

Wetlands, sloughs, and flood limits on the field

Wetland density in MD of Bonnyville is best described as high. Notable mapped or commonly discussed flood-hazard areas include Beaver River valley, Moose Lake shoreline, Cold Lake lowlands.

The MD is dense with lakes, sloughs, and peatlands, and most are regulated. Shoreline alterations and drainage both need Water Act approval.

Alberta regulates changes to wetlands and watercourses. Draining, filling, or ditching a wet area can require approval under the Water Act, even when it looks like a low spot in a field. Read the Alberta wetland policy guide before you order a ditcher, and price field drainage only after you know what is allowed.

Work packages farm operators ask about

Check grant fit before you spend

Alberta's producer programs run through Sustainable CAP, with streams for water, landscapes, efficiency, and value-added work. The federal On-Farm Climate Action Fund has supported nitrogen management, cover crops, and rotational grazing. Rates, caps, and intake change, so use the grant eligibility quiz to see what may apply, then confirm with the program administrator.

Sampled data for MD of Bonnyville

From a Land Intelligence report run on a representative quarter in Township 61, Range 6, W4. These are measured or record-based values for that location, shown to put the county figures above in context. They are not your parcel.

Median completed depth47.2 m363 records within 5 km of the sample
Middle half of wells21.6–50.1 mshallowest 6.4 m · deepest 58.8 m
Median static level16.2 mbelow ground, where recorded
Annual mean2 °Clow -36.8 °C · high 31.6 °C in the sampled year
Days with frost192in the sampled year
Frost windowMay 25 – Sep 10regional table for zone 2b
Growing degree days1617base 5 °C
Precipitation457.9 mm/yr30-year normal at the sample point
Fixed south array yield1290 kWh/kWp/yrlatitude tilt, rough feasibility only
Annual insolation1653.5 kWh/m²global, horizontal
Soil at the sampleLoamDark Gray Chernozemics, Dark Gray - Gray Luvisols
Farmland value context$3,704/acretransfer average, FCC-trend adjusted; not an appraisal
Nearby well records in MD of Bonnyville: completed depth (down) versus distance from the sample point0 m15 m30 m45 m60 m0.0 km0.8 km1.5 km2.2 km3.0 kmmedian 47.2 m0.6 km away: completed 50.3 m, static level 17.4 m0.6 km away: completed 21.2 m, static level 7.6 m0.7 km away: completed 52.4 m, static level 17.4 m0.7 km away: completed 51.8 m, static level 16.5 m0.7 km away: completed 48.2 m, static level 15.1 m0.7 km away: completed 10.4 m, static level 2.4 m0.7 km away: completed 17.8 m, static level 5.8 m0.9 km away: completed 49.1 m, static level 15.9 m0.9 km away: completed 21.7 m, static level 13.7 m1.1 km away: completed 13.7 m1.1 km away: completed 13.8 m, static level 5.8 m1.2 km away: completed 51.5 m, static level 17.1 m1.2 km away: completed 21.3 m1.2 km away: completed 44.2 m, static level 18.3 m1.2 km away: completed 53.0 m, static level 15.2 m1.5 km away: completed 53.0 m, static level 18.0 m1.5 km away: completed 51.2 m, static level 18.3 m1.7 km away: completed 6.4 m1.7 km away: completed 48.5 m, static level 17.7 m1.8 km away: completed 32.9 m, static level 7.3 m1.8 km away: completed 49.4 m, static level 18.3 m1.8 km away: completed 50.6 m, static level 11.9 m1.9 km away: completed 54.9 m, static level 18.3 m1.9 km away: completed 49.4 m, static level 17.1 m1.9 km away: completed 47.9 m, static level 14.6 m2.1 km away: completed 47.2 m, static level 22.9 m2.1 km away: completed 50.0 m, static level 18.3 m2.2 km away: completed 26.3 m, static level 18.3 m2.2 km away: completed 12.9 m, static level 3.7 m2.2 km away: completed 13.1 m, static level 1.8 m2.2 km away: completed 19.0 m, static level 11.0 m2.2 km away: completed 58.8 m2.2 km away: completed 24.4 m2.2 km away: completed 48.5 m, static level 15.2 m2.2 km away: completed 45.4 m, static level 14.0 m2.2 km away: completed 47.2 m, static level 34.8 m2.2 km away: completed 46.9 m, static level 16.5 m2.2 km away: completed 36.6 m, static level 10.7 m2.3 km away: completed 47.9 m, static level 23.5 m2.3 km away: completed 27.4 m
Each dot is one provincial well record near the sampled quarter: distance across, completed depth down (deeper is lower). Hover a dot for its values. The dashed line is the median. Records are shown by distance only; no locations are published.
Monthly average high and low temperature, MD of Bonnyville-25250 °CJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJan: average high -8.8 °C, average low -18.4 °CJan: average high -8.8 °C, average low -18.4 °CFeb: average high -6.1 °C, average low -15.2 °CFeb: average high -6.1 °C, average low -15.2 °CMar: average high -4.4 °C, average low -15.1 °CMar: average high -4.4 °C, average low -15.1 °CApr: average high 4.3 °C, average low -5.7 °CApr: average high 4.3 °C, average low -5.7 °CMay: average high 18.6 °C, average low 6.1 °CMay: average high 18.6 °C, average low 6.1 °CJun: average high 19.1 °C, average low 10.9 °CJun: average high 19.1 °C, average low 10.9 °CJul: average high 23.5 °C, average low 13.8 °CJul: average high 23.5 °C, average low 13.8 °CAug: average high 21.1 °C, average low 11.5 °CAug: average high 21.1 °C, average low 11.5 °CSep: average high 18 °C, average low 8.6 °CSep: average high 18 °C, average low 8.6 °COct: average high 10.3 °C, average low 1.1 °COct: average high 10.3 °C, average low 1.1 °CNov: average high -1 °C, average low -7.8 °CNov: average high -1 °C, average low -7.8 °CDec: average high -14 °C, average low -23.3 °CDec: average high -14 °C, average low -23.3 °C23.5 °C-23.3 °CAverage daily highAverage daily low
Open-Meteo daily archive (ERA5 reanalysis), 2025-10-09 to 2026-10-09: one recent year at the sample point, not a 30-year normal. Use it for the shape of the year, not for a design value.
Monthly horizontal irradiance, MD of Bonnyville (kWh/m²/day)Jan: 0.94 kWh/m²/dayJFeb: 1.89 kWh/m²/dayFMar: 3.4 kWh/m²/dayMApr: 4.79 kWh/m²/dayAMay: 5.78 kWh/m²/dayMJun: 6.22 kWh/m²/dayJ6.22Jul: 6.12 kWh/m²/dayJAug: 4.95 kWh/m²/dayASep: 3.3 kWh/m²/daySOct: 2.02 kWh/m²/dayONov: 1.02 kWh/m²/dayNDec: 0.68 kWh/m²/dayD0.68
Horizontal irradiance by month from the report pipeline's insolation tables at the sample point. June and December are labelled; the ratio between them sizes an off-grid battery bank.

Growing zones near MD of Bonnyville: Bonnyville (zone 2b) · Cold Lake (zone 2b) · St. Paul (zone 2b) · Alberta growing zones map

Neighbouring counties: County of St. Paul (51 km) · Lac La Biche County (90 km) · County of Two Hills (91 km) · County of Vermilion River (112 km) · Compare MD of Bonnyville with another county

Sampled from the live report pipeline at a representative quarter in Township 61, Range 6, W4 on 2026-10-08: well depth, hardiness zone, solar irradiance (363 well records within 5 km). Text reviewed 2026-10-09. Methodology.

Common questions

How deep are farm wells in MD of Bonnyville?

Nearby records point to roughly 47 m as a planning figure. Your parcel can differ a lot, so a pump test matters more than the county average.

How long is the growing season in MD of Bonnyville?

Plan around about 105 frost-free days, then check your own field for frost pockets and shorter windows.

Do I need approval to drain a wet field in MD of Bonnyville?

Often, when a wetland or watercourse is involved. Confirm with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas before you dig.

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