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Location of MD of Spirit River in Alberta
MD of Spirit River within Alberta

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

If you run a working farm in MD of Spirit River, 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.

Grain and canola on good Peace Country soil, with a strong seed-growing tradition.

Well depth and water table for farm operators

Nearby well records suggest completed wells around 45 m deep in MD of Spirit River, with static water levels often in the 7–22 m range. The predominant aquifer on file is Wapiti Formation sandstone and surficial sands. The depth and static-level figures are regional estimates from typical Alberta well records in this belt, not a surveyed water table on your parcel.

A small, compact farming MD around Spirit River and Rycroft. Wells into Wapiti sandstone are moderate to deep; sodium and iron are routine treatment targets.

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 Spirit River is generally treated as hardiness zone 3a, with a frost-free window on the order of 115 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 roughly 100 frost-free days. The Spirit River valley holds cold air on still nights.

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 Spirit River.

Wetlands, sloughs, and flood limits on the field

Wetland density in MD of Spirit River is best described as moderate. Notable mapped or commonly discussed flood-hazard areas include Spirit River, Peace River valley, Rycroft area lowlands.

Pothole density is moderate and the river valley carries slope and flood limits. Drainage needs 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 Spirit River

From a Land Intelligence report run on a representative quarter in Township 79, Range 6, W6. 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 depth121.3 m7 records within 5 km of the sample
Middle half of wells57.7–164.6 mshallowest 3.0 m · deepest 297.2 m
Annual mean2.7 °Clow -39.6 °C · high 30.8 °C in the sampled year
Days with frost172in the sampled year
Frost windowMay 20 – Sep 15regional table for zone 3a
Growing degree days1631base 5 °C
Precipitation463.4 mm/yr30-year normal at the sample point
Fixed south array yield1233 kWh/kWp/yrlatitude tilt, rough feasibility only
Annual insolation1580.5 kWh/m²global, horizontal
Soil at the sampleLoamDark Gray Chernozemics, Dark Gray - Gray Luvisols
Farmland value context$4,429/acretransfer average, FCC-trend adjusted; not an appraisal
Tree canopy at the sample0%from 1 m LiDAR
Nearby well records in MD of Spirit River: completed depth (down) versus distance from the sample point0 m75 m150 m225 m300 m0.0 km1.2 km2.5 km3.8 km5.0 kmmedian 121.3 m2.1 km away: completed 3.0 m3.0 km away: completed 182.9 m3.3 km away: completed 297.2 m4.5 km away: completed 121.3 m4.6 km away: completed 14.9 m4.6 km away: completed 100.6 m4.9 km away: completed 146.3 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 Spirit River-25250 °CJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJan: average high -4.3 °C, average low -12.7 °CJan: average high -4.3 °C, average low -12.7 °CFeb: average high -4.9 °C, average low -13.3 °CFeb: average high -4.9 °C, average low -13.3 °CMar: average high -6 °C, average low -16.1 °CMar: average high -6 °C, average low -16.1 °CApr: average high 6.6 °C, average low -4.1 °CApr: average high 6.6 °C, average low -4.1 °CMay: average high 18.5 °C, average low 7.2 °CMay: average high 18.5 °C, average low 7.2 °CJun: average high 19.8 °C, average low 10.7 °CJun: average high 19.8 °C, average low 10.7 °CJul: average high 22.7 °C, average low 12.6 °CJul: average high 22.7 °C, average low 12.6 °CAug: average high 22.4 °C, average low 11.4 °CAug: average high 22.4 °C, average low 11.4 °CSep: average high 17.5 °C, average low 7.2 °CSep: average high 17.5 °C, average low 7.2 °COct: average high 10.1 °C, average low 1.9 °COct: average high 10.1 °C, average low 1.9 °CNov: average high 0.6 °C, average low -5.3 °CNov: average high 0.6 °C, average low -5.3 °CDec: average high -15.8 °C, average low -24 °CDec: average high -15.8 °C, average low -24 °C22.7 °C-24 °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 Spirit River (kWh/m²/day)Jan: 0.74 kWh/m²/dayJFeb: 1.6 kWh/m²/dayFMar: 3.15 kWh/m²/dayMApr: 4.66 kWh/m²/dayAMay: 5.58 kWh/m²/dayMJun: 6.01 kWh/m²/dayJ6.01Jul: 5.97 kWh/m²/dayJAug: 4.83 kWh/m²/dayASep: 3.18 kWh/m²/daySOct: 1.81 kWh/m²/dayONov: 0.86 kWh/m²/dayNDec: 0.54 kWh/m²/dayD0.54
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 Spirit River: Grande Prairie (zone 3a) · Alberta growing zones map

Neighbouring counties: Saddle Hills County (31 km) · Birch Hills County (33 km) · MD of Fairview (42 km) · County of Grande Prairie (67 km) · Compare MD of Spirit River with another county

Sampled from the live report pipeline at a representative quarter in Township 79, Range 6, W6 on 2026-10-08: hardiness zone, solar irradiance (7 well records within 5 km). Kept as regional estimates: well depth (only 7 nearby records at the sample point). Text reviewed 2026-10-09. Methodology.

Common questions

How deep are farm wells in MD of Spirit River?

Nearby records point to roughly 45 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 Spirit River?

Plan around about 115 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 Spirit River?

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

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