Room
to Grow
Some believe that the growth of
the provincial economy and the province’s population
will be driven by the astute use of our water resources. According
to Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation, water can be an economic
driver of the future.
Analysts point out that on average,
two years of every ten are known to be drought years and this
lack of predictable crop production dramatically reduces the
range of agricultural products that can be grown. This in
turn reduces the opportunities for food processing, livestock
production and many other value-added activities that depend
on reliable feedstock to remain viable. Irrigation, they contend,
can help ensure a reliable supply of products.
The potential economic impacts
of expanding irrigation are significant. The typical average
gross revenue from dryland farming of wheat is in the $90
per acre range. Using irrigation, gross revenue from raising
such crops as soft wheat could be in the $360 range, canary
seed at $475, lentils at $330, dry beans at $640, corn silage
at $710, and even higher revenues. A good example of the economic
impact irrigation can make is a 250 acre seed potato farm
near Lake Diefenbaker. Tiny, by dryland grain farm standards,
this seed potato farm creates four full time jobs and an additional
12 seasonal jobs during the April/October period.
Saskatchewan Agrivision points
out that only about 90,000 acres are irrigated in the Lake
Diefenbaker area but that this could be expanded to 470,000
acres without changes in irrigation methods or significant
extension of existing water delivery infrastructure. Would
there be enough water for such an expansion? The answer seems
to be yes since Saskatchewan is only using a very small amount
of the water it has available for irrigation. More water is
currently lost from Lake Diefenbaker due to evaporation than
is withdrawn for irrigation.
How can water become the driver
of Saskatchewan's economy and population in the next 30-50
years? According to Agrivision, the first step is a long-term
plan and the will to proceed.
Frog watch
A variety of factors make frogs
susceptible to environmental changes. Such factors include
their amphibious nature and susceptibility to the dangers
of both water and land based ecosystems, their permeable skin
more easily absorbs toxic chemicals and micro-organisms, as
well as their sensitivity to UV light, heat and temperature
change. For these reasons frogs are considered to be an important
ecological indicator group.
Over the past few years research
has been done in Saskatchewan to determine if abnormalities
in frog populations are increasing. Findings from a research
project conducted over the past three summers indicate there
was no difference in the condition of over 2,000 young frogs
selected from about 40 forest ponds removed from human activity
and 1,500 young frogs selected from 26 farm ponds with exposures
to livestock, fertilizers and other farm chemicals. For more
information about the important role frogs play see www.naturewatch.ca |
