RURAL LIVING GUIDECounty of Newell

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Rural living allows residents to experience mother nature in a very different way from urban residents. While rural living can be wonderful, there are some things to keep in mind. The following is for your information and to help you to decide where to live.• Wildlife is an integral part of rural living. While animals can be nice to look at,

they can also cause accidents, property damage, and livestock deaths.• Insects thrive in rural settings and the County does not use chemicals to

control them.• Snow melting and storms can cause flooding. Be cautious about standing

water and be patient while waiting for water to drain. It is important to help keep natural and artificial drainage courses clear.

• Heavy snowfall can cause roads to become impassable. Rest assured that County crews will be out in full force, but there are no guarantees for how long it will take to have your road cleared. Make sure you are well stocked with supplies such as food and water.

DID YOU KNOW?The topography of your land will dictate

where water will flow during heavy precipitation or melting. A flash flood

can quickly transform a dry gully into a raging river.

An objective of the County is to promote, protect, and enhance agriculture as the primary land use within its boundaries. If you wish to live in a rural setting, you will likely find yourself close to farms and ranches. The County will not intervene in the normal day-to-day operations of your agri-business neighbours. Alberta’s Agricultural Operation Practices Act legislation, which is enforced by the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB), governs farmers’ livestock operations and limits the ability of a neighbour to raise nuisance and liability claims.

Farming can be a 24-hour a day business, especially during seeding and harvest time. There will be noise associated with this agricultural activity. These activities can also cause dust during dry, windy weather.

Farmers occasionally burn their ditches and fields to keep them clean of debris, weeds, and other obstructions. This burning creates smoke that you might find objectionable.

AGRIcULtURE

DID YOU KNOW?Typical farm machinery requires

both lanes of traffic and makes very wide turns.

Please give equipment operatorsplenty of space.

AGRI

cULt

URE Fertilizers and herbicides are often used in growing crops. Many people are

sensitive to these types of chemicals. Sometimes these chemicals are applied by airplanes.

The County of Newell has many confined feeding operations (CFOs). CFOs involve traffic, dust, and odor. These activities are regulated by the NRCB and are all an expected part of agriculture.

Moving to the country is not a license to let pets roam. Even gentle, beloved family pets can become nuisances to neighbours or prey to coyotes. Alberta law protects livestock from nuisance caused by pets. The County of Newell also has an Animal Control Bylaw, which is available online and by calling our office.

If you own livestock, it is your responsibility to fence them in, not your neighbour’s responsibility to fence them out.

DID YOU KNOW?The Land Stewardship Centre has a “Green Acreages Guide” available. For more information, please visit

www.landstewardship.org/ green-acreages-guide/

RoADs

The County of Newell transportation network is made up of both paved and gravel roads. Some roads are maintained by the County, some fall under the jurisdiction of Alberta Transportation.

Roads are classified as either arterial, collector, or local. Many roads are also considered haul roads and large transport vehicles and oilfield traffic regularly travel them. You can check with our Public Works department to determine the classification of a specific road.

Gravel surfaced roads are not always smooth and can washboard. They are often slippery when wet. During some weather events, rural roads may become impassable. You may need snow tires, a four-wheel drive vehicle, or even some other mode of transportation. You may experience an increase in vehicle maintenance

costs when travelling regularly on rural roads.

Keep in mind that gravel roads also generate dust, which is at the very least unpleasant and is an ongoing fact of life for rural residents. The County offers a dust abatement program to residents.

The County will maintain and repair municipal roads; however, private roads and driveways are the responsibility of the landowner who uses them. Road repairs and maintenance are done as quickly as possible, but repairs can often be delayed as roads must dry out before repair work can commence. If our crew is not working on the road that you live on, they are likely working on another road.

For more information on roads and road maintenance, please contact our Public Works department.

DID YOU KNOW?The County maintains 190 kilometers

of paved roads, 1,500 kilometers of gravel roads, and 304 bridges(including bridge-sized culverts).

UtIL

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Water, sewer, natural gas, electricity, telephone, cable, internet, and other services may not always be available or are not equivalent to urban standards.

Sanitary sewer service is only available in some of our hamlets. Otherwise, you will need to rely on an approved private sewage system. For more information, contact the County.

Potable water is available in all hamlets and rural areas of the County through a regional water system. It is the responsibility of the landowner to provide potable water to their dwelling. Contact the Public Works department or Newell Regional Services Corporation (NRSC) to determine what options are available to you.

Electricity, natural gas, cable, telephone, and internet services are supplied by private utility companies, and cellular phone services may not work in all areas.

All residents must dispose of their own solid waste and garbage. Please contact the Newell Regional Solid Waste Management Authority (NRSWMA) for more information on waste collection sites. Newell Recycling provides convenient drop off locations throughout the County for recyclable materials.

If you want to burn garbage, leaves, or wood, you must have a burn permit. These are available from your divisional Fire Chief or the County of Newell office.

DID YOU KNOW?The County of Newell has developed

a program to supply potable water to rural residents.

Check with the County office for further information.

Fire protection services are located throughout the County with ten fire halls. These halls, with a couple of exceptions, are placed one per Division. Halls are manned by dedicated volunteers who live and work within the County. As such, response times to emergencies can vary depending on travel distances from the service provider, road and weather conditions. It is important to know your rural address or current specific location when reporting an emergency to assist in reduction of response times. 9-1-1 Emergency Services is used within our County. Be prepared to answer the questions to the best of your abilities.

The rural settings do not have fire hydrants and water for fire suppression must be transported to the scene. Departments will use ponds, reservoirs, canals, and lakes as water sources, depending on the time of year.

Fire prevention starts with you. Ensure that you have a clear access to your property for modern fire apparatus. Keep weeds, garbage, and other combustible materials free and clear from around buildings and equipment. Prairie fires are a fact of life within the County, so keep a fire resistant buffer zone around your property. Have a 72-hour emergency kit for your household should an emergency arise.

For more information on how to be rural fire smart please feel free to contact the County of Newell Fire & Emergency Services Coordinator or your local Fire Chief. Remember that Safety is an Attitude.

In addition to fire services, the County employs two Community Peace Officers (CPO’s) to enforce County Bylaws and some Provincial laws/regulations. These CPO’s operate out of the County Public Works Department. In addition, there are two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachments located within the

pRotEctIVE sERVIcEs

DID YOU KNOW?The divisional fire departments are always looking for new volunteers.

If you are interested, please contact the County of Newell for more information.

county - one in the City of Brooks and one in the Town of Bassano. The RCMP look after all aspects of policing.

Emergency Medical Services are run by the Province of Alberta and there are two ambulance stations located in our County. One is located within the City of Brooks and the other is located within the Town of Bassano.

Newell Regional Services Corporation (NRSC)

403-794-4000www.nrsc.ca

Newell Regional Solid Waste Management Authority (NRSWMA)

403-362-5188www.newellwastemanagement.com

Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB)

403-381-5166 (Lethbridge Office)www.nrcb.gov.ab.ca

This brochure contains guidelines for rural living,

but does not by any means contain information

on everything you may experience.

If you have any questions, please contact the County of Newell.

Produced & Published byCounty of Newell

P.O. Box 130707 - 2nd Avenue EastBrooks, AB T1R 1B2Phone: 403-362-3266

Fax: 403-362-8681

www.countyofnewell.ab.ca

Copyright 2012 County of Newell

Department of Planning & Development

Text by Darby Lester, Layout by Ariana Nielsen