The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of irrigation tailwater and sewage lagoon discharge on the water quality of Crowfoot Creek, Alberta, Canada. The monitored irrigation tailwater accounted for more than 55% of the water flow in the basin. With the exception of the early part of the 1997 irrigation season the irrigation tailwater only impacted the phosphate and total phosphorus levels in the creek. High values for all parameters were recorded in the early part of the 1997 irrigation season, due to irrigation source water quality or deposition of contaminants into the irrigation canals during the 1997 spring runoff. The impact of the sewage lagoon effluent on the water quality of the creek was minimal to insignificant. The primary sources of contamination in the watershed are thought to be direct cattle access to the creek, soil erosion and surface runoff.

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