Source: The Standard
An announcement last month that Niagara is receiving up to $41 million in irrigation systems funding will create new opportunities for agricultural operations in Lincoln and west St. Catharines — and a dilemma for others.
“The system is going to be built with a certain amount of flow and capacity,” said West Lincoln regional Coun. Albert Witteveen.
“You are going to get a chance to say yes or no, but you can’t come back later and say I want in.
“The system will be designed for the willing partners.”
Niagara Region staff briefed planning and economic development committee members earlier this month by providing an update on timelines and next steps.
“Niagara is one of only a few areas in Canada with climate and soil conditions suitable for high-value crops, such as grape and tender fruit,” Sean Norman, the region’s manager of sustainable communities, told councillors.
“However, the impacts of climate change, including drought conditions, have highlighted the need for improved irrigation infrastructure across Niagara.”
The project will also include enhancements to an existing system in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Both projects are scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. But Norman cautioned the detailed design and construction timeline depends on completing the study, obtaining approvals and permits, and securing further funding.
Norman said he doesn’t believe there will be a requirement for all agricultural property owners in west St. Catharines and Lincoln to participate.
“The individual property owners and farmers who are interested would have the opportunity to buy into the system,” Norman said. “I expect that there will be a set amount of water available that is dictated by factors such as the water-taking permit and pumping stations.
“The farmers or landowners would buy a share, and there will likely be a capital component required to help support the system.
“We already know there are some areas or farm types that might not be interested, and it’s likely the system will divert water to other local areas with higher interest.”
Witteveen — he has experience with North Niagara Federation of Agriculture, West Niagara Agricultural Society and Ontario Hop Growers’ Association in addition to his work on the region’s agricultural policy and action committee — said an operation that might not need the irrigation program today could still find it appealing.
“It’s a piece of infrastructure that’s really no different than a gas line or three-phase power,” Witteveen said. “In the future, if you are doing succession planning, that infrastructure would add value to the property value.”
In the west St. Catharines-Lincoln study area, preliminary work indicates access to a reliable source of water is one of the key issues preventing agricultural land from being converted to either an orchard or a vineyard, Norman said. Orchards and vineyards tend to grow higher-value crops, which generate significantly more revenue from a relatively smaller land area.
“This is a major opportunity for the agricultural sector in Niagara, which this project is designed to address,” he said. “Greenhouse operators and nurseries have also expressed an interest in accessing a communal irrigation system for their agricultural purposes as well.”
The study is expected to conclude with a recommendation for the most efficient, environmentally sound and cost-effective method for moving water, which includes pumping station locations and requirements, draft intake designs, property requirements and hydraulic modelling.
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, the original irrigation system began with farmers siphoning water from the Welland Canal and local creeks to irrigate crops, according to a report prepared for that town by Stantec consultants.
In 1988, Niagara-on-the-Lake established an irrigation system in response to drought conditions by constructing a siphon at the Queenston reservoir to support the Four Mile Creek area.
The town expanded the system to other areas with a pumped transfer link, improvements to the Queenston reservoir siphon and, in 2005, a new pumping station on the Niagara River.
Norman said there is a higher quantity of grape and fruit-growing land in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the first step will be to consolidate the several existing engineering reports into a single document.
Pelham Coun. Wayne Olson said he’s looking forward to the analysis and is bullish on farming in Niagara.
“I’m convinced Niagara might be the most competitive area in the world in terms of what we can grow off the land, and as climate change continues I think we will be one of the last areas affected,” Olson said.