Alberta municipalities, farmers agree to cut water use as drought persists

April 19 (Reuters) - Municipalities and irrigation districts in the western Canadian province of Alberta have agreed to use less water this summer to combat a severe ongoing drought , the provincial government said on Friday. Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said water license holders had signed news memorandums of understanding covering four river basins in the southern half of the province. Alberta, which produces most of Canada's oil, natural gas and beef, plus big wheat and canola harvests, opened water-sharing negotiations among licence-holders for the first time in two decades...