2.0 Existing Conditions

Transcription

1 2.0 Existing Conditions 2.1 EXISTING IRRIGATION PRACTICES AND SKILLS Tender Fruit and Grape Growers 1 Irrigation is practiced on many farms in the target areas. Most farmers in Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) irrigate. The source of irrigation water in NOTL is generally the municipal drain system (Niagara-on-the-Lake Irrigation System); however, a few larger operations near Lake Ontario and the Niagara River use these surface water bodies as their sources. Irrigation is also widely practiced below the Escarpment between St. Catharines and Grimsby (referred in this section as the West area for simplicity), although many smaller operations do not irrigate. The capital and management requirements of irrigating make irrigation less feasible for smaller operations if a water source is not readily available in close proximity to their parcels of land. Most larger operations are composed of a number of discontinuous small parcels of land which may make irrigation unfeasible for some of their parcels. Where irrigation is not feasible, the farmers grow crops that are less sensitive to soil water deficit. The irrigators in the Lincoln area generally use surface runoff and water from Lake Ontario as their sources. The use of the lake water appears to be problematic for many irrigators due to wave action and steep embankments. Some parcels that are immediately adjacent to the lake are not irrigated due to these problems. Where surface water runoff and streams are used, the quantity of available water is not sufficient during the drier years (to some degree this is related to the storage capacity of these irrigation systems). Some of the irrigators in the West area and NOTL have on-farm ponds. Some irrigators in NOTL pump directly from the irrigation drain by damming the drain. Irrigation is fairly uncommon in the Pelham tender fruit area. A few farmers irrigate generally using drilled wells. Surface water sources appear to be unfeasible for the use of the individual farmers due to their capital requirements. Not all crops are irrigated. Pears and peaches are usually irrigated. Plums and cherries are rarely irrigated. Grapes traditionally have not been irrigated but there seems to be a growing move to irrigating grapes in recent years. However, even where grapes are irrigated, they generally receive on average only one irrigation during the season. Young orchards are generally not irrigated. The most common type of irrigation application method in the region is sprinkler irrigation (such as hand-moved or solid sprinkler, traveling gun, etc.). Drip irrigation is also used by many 1 This subsection is mainly based on interviews with several tender fruit and grape farmers in the target area ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.1

2 farmers, however, most farmers seem to be hesitant to use this type of irrigation due to its high maintenance and filtration requirements. Some farmers believe that drip irrigation cannot provide sufficient amounts of water for tender fruits. Irrigation is generally practiced from early July to mid-september. Most farmers irrigate only if there are two consecutive weeks without rain during this period. Tender fruit farmers generally apply 38 mm to 51 mm (1.5 2 inches) of water column per irrigation set. The amount of water being applied is measured using rain gauges and irrigation is continued until the desired amount of water is collected in the rain gauge. Some farmers may irrigate up to 100 mm (4 inches) of water column. The grape growers irrigate less, as low as 25 mm (1 inch) of water column. Many farmers have invested substantial capitals on irrigation systems. However, even those who practice irrigation have some sites that are not irrigated due to source limitations or unfeasibility of irrigation at the present time. Even at sites that have irrigation, most farmers would like the option of connecting to a regional water supply system. The provision of pressurized water is also seen as desirable since it would eliminate problems with on-site pumping and the need for on-site ponds. The noise associated with on-site pumping, usually the diesel pumps, restricts the timing of irrigation to daylight hours when much of the water can be lost to evaporation. However, most farmers believed that the cost of providing pressurized water at the farm gate would be prohibitive. The farmers who irrigate seem to be competent in the mechanical aspects of irrigation such as collecting water, and installing, maintaining and operating water and irrigation systems. However, they use rule of thumb irrigation scheduling methods. None of the farmers visited monitor soil water moisture or calculated evapotranspiration demand when deciding to irrigate. Also the amount of irrigation per application is based on a rule of thumb (e.g. 2 inches) without site specific consideration of factors such as initial soil moisture content, soil water storage, depth of root zone, etc Greenhouses In 2001, there were 231 greenhouses in the Niagara Region, of which 171 were in the target area. The number of greenhouses grew by 34% in the Niagara Region between 1986 and Although greenhouses in the Niagara Region occupy only some 272 acres, they produce more than 40% of the regional agricultural revenues. 80% of greenhouse production in the Niagara Region is floriculture (Planscape, 2003; Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation, 2004). All greenhouses in the Niagara Region use irrigation water. Their annual consumption range between 0.7 to 0.8 meters of water column for closed systems, where excess water is reajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.2

3 circulated, and 1.0 to 1.5 meters of water column for open systems, where excess water is wasted. The peak period of consumption per square foot of flower production is midsummer. 2 The traditional source of irrigation water for Niagara greenhouses has been municipally treated water. In recent years, the greenhouses have been required to collect rainwater from their roofs in storm retention structures. A rainwater storage of at least one gallon per square foot, or approximately 50 mm (2 inches) of water column over their roof areas is required. This stored rainwater is generally used for irrigation and reduces the municipal water demand of the greenhouses. The greenhouse operators seem to be competent in both mechanics and scheduling of irrigation. Larger greenhouse operations closely monitor their water quality and re-circulate unused water. The main motivation of the greenhouses for careful irrigation is not water efficiency, as water is an insignificant cost item for them, but to provide optimum moisture and nutrient conditions for the plants. 2.2 EXISTING IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE Niagara-on-the-Lake Irrigation System 3 The NOTL Municipal Irrigation System operates from mid-may until mid-september, providing irrigation water through municipal drains to some 8,000 acres of irrigated land. In addition to irrigation for plant water demand, the system provides water for frost protection during May for a number of berry growers. The current maximum system capacity is 15,000 USGPM (82,000 m 3 /day or 800 acre-inches/day), using the Welland Canal, Niagara River and OPG facilities as sources. The supply system from the Niagara River was completed earlier this year. The new supply system from the Niagara River includes a pumped intake on the Niagara River. The distribution system is composed of a number of drains conveying the irrigation water generally from south to north. In the past, the system has occasionally failed to satisfy demand. It is thought that the additional supply from the Niagara River should eliminate water shortages at least on the east side of the system. An additional supply capacity of 8,000 USGPM (44,000 m 3 /day or 420 acre-inches/day) would be desirable on the west side of the system to eliminate occasional water shortages and reliance on less desirable water sources. 2 Source: personal communication with Mr. Wayne Brown, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Jan This subsection is mainly based on the information provided by Mr. Henri Bennemeer, Town of Niagara-on-the- Lake, Dec to Feb ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.3

4 2.2.2 Other Irrigation Infrastructure There is significant on-farm irrigation infrastructure currently in the Region. Where accessible water sources exist, many farmers have on-farm capacity for applying sufficient amounts of water to most of their land. There is also substantial on-farm storage in the Region. Some farmers have ponds on their farms with sufficient storage capacity to apply at least 50 mm of irrigation water to their land. The greenhouse growers seem to generally have in-ground cistern storage, with storage capacity of at least 50 mm over their roof areas. A few larger farms have raw water supply systems for irrigation, generally supplied by Lake Ontario or the Niagara River. Some farmers in the Pelham area have drilled wells supplying their irrigation systems. 2.3 OTHER RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE Municipal Water and Wastewater Infrastructure 4 The Regional Municipality of Niagara operates six water treatment plants (WTPs) and twelve wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as shown on Figure 2-1, that service 87% of the population of the Region. In addition to the water treatment plants, the treated water systems of the Niagara Region consist of over 30 storage reservoirs, 11 major pumping stations, and 189 km of pipelines. The wastewater collection and transmission systems of the Region consist of over 100 pumping stations and more than 177 km of trunk sewers and forcemains. Some municipally treated water is currently being used for irrigation in the Niagara Region. The Region s greenhouses generally have treated water connections. Although the implementation of cistern requirements for greenhouses has no doubt reduced the quantity of municipal water consumed by these greenhouses, a secure municipal water supply is still an essential requirement for the majority of the greenhouses in Niagara and likely provides the majority of the water required to fulfill irrigation demands. In addition to the permanent irrigation connections for greenhouses, temporary connections to the treated water system are sometimes allowed via designated hydrants. The total volume of irrigation water supplied by the municipal systems in the year 2000 was 517,303 m 3. 4 The information in this subsection is based on Water and Wastewater Master Servicing Plan Update (CH2M Hill & MacViro, 2003). ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.4

5 The WTPs of the Region have a combined rated capacity of 609,300 m 3 per day. Average current consumption is 225,400 m 3 per day, and is expected to reach 311,200 m 3 per day by The combined Maximum Day Demands of the water systems is currently 423,600 m 3 per day and is expected to rise to 591,500 m 3 per day by the year As most of the current capacity will be required to meet the future demand of the Region by 2026, Region staff have stipulated that municipally treated water is not to be used as a water source for irrigation Ontario Power Generation Facilities and Welland Canal 5 The relatively large difference in elevation between Lake Erie (minimum water level of m above sea level 6 ) and Lake Ontario (minimum water level of m above sea level 8 ) provides a navigation challenge and an energy opportunity. The Welland Canal was original constructed to allow navigation between the two lakes. Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) operates five hydro power generation plants using the water from the Welland Canal and the Niagara River to produce electricity. The average flow of the Niagara river is 5000 to 6500 m 3 /s. OPG s Queenston-Chippawa Power Canal and Tunnel have a maximum capacity of diverting 1780 m 3 /s from the Niagara River for power generation purposes. The water is taken upstream of Niagara Falls and returned to the Niagara River downstream of the falls. OPG has the responsibility of ensuring that there is a minimum daytime flow of 2,800 m 3 /s over the falls during the tourist season, and a minimum flow of 1,400 m 3 /s outside the tourist season or at night during the tourist season. Queenston Reservoir, with a capacity of 20 million cubic metres, is a component of OPG s infrastructure associated with the Niagara River. During periods of low power demand, a portion of the flow can be stored in this reservoir. During periods of high demand, the stored water in this reservoir can be used to produce additional power. It should be noted that this infrastructure is currently one of the supply sources of the NOTL irrigation system. The Welland Canal is used for both navigation and as a source for hydro power generation. The average flow into the Welland Canal is over 250 m 3 /s. The major portion of this flow (an average of over 200 m 3 /s) is diverted from the Canal at Lake Gibson and used by OPG for hydropower generation. Decew Falls WTP is supplied from Lake Moodie by the water flowing through Lake Gibson; but, at a rated capacity 2.6 m 3 /s, its flow is insignificant compared to that permitted for OPG. The water used by OPG from the Welland Canal is discharged to Twelve Mile Creek. The Welland Canal is also used as one of the supply sources of the NOTL irrigation system. Figure 2-2 shows the main flow components between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. 5 Unless otherwise noted, the information in this subsection is based on information provided by the Ontario Power Generation Corporation. 6 Based on information provided by St. Lawrence Seaway Authority. ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.6

6 2.4 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The Region of Niagara s unique location makes it rich with many natural features and water sources. These features are described in further detail below along with their applicability for use as a part of an irrigation project or their potential constraints Existing Water Sources Lake Erie Lake Erie marks the southern border of the Niagara Region. Its water flows through and by the Region via a number of natural and made-made waterways (see Figure 2-2). The quality of its water and its elevation (minimum m above sea level) provide one of the major natural resources of the Niagara Region. The lake itself is perhaps too far from the target irrigation areas for direct use, but the waters originating from the lake provide several supply options for this study. Niagara River The Niagara River is the western boundary of the Niagara Region and is the border between Canada and the United States. The flow of the Niagara River is highly variable depending on the season, wind effects, and diversions from and to the river. The average flow of the river upstream and downstream of OPG diversions is generally between 5000 and 6500 m 3 /s. The river waters upstream of the falls have the advantage of having sufficient energy to be able to supply most of the target areas by gravity flow. The waters downstream of the river have the advantage of being close to NOTL. Currently some farmers in NOTL take water from the Niagara River for irrigation. The NOTL Irrigation System has recently completed a new pumped intake from this river. Lake Ontario Lake Ontario marks the northern border of the Niagara Region, which is relatively close to the majority of the target areas. This source is currently being used by a number of farmers for irrigation. However, some farmers have pointed out that steep embankments and waves are obstacles in the use of this source. The result seems to be that only larger operations are able to use this water as a source for irrigation. The major advantage of this source is the seemingly unlimited capacity as a supply for irrigation water. However, the water level of this source (minimum m above sea level) is lower than many of the potential irrigation lands. This means that any use from this source requires pumping. Most farmers that currently use this source use two sets of pumps. One set pumps water from the lake into on-farm ponds. The second set pumps water from the pond into the irrigation distribution system. ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.8

7 Groundwater 7 There are currently 7400 wells in the Region, 145 of which have capacities above 50,000 liters per day. Theoretically, there is unused capacity within the regional aquifers as the current use is only 15% of the recharge at the regional level. However, bedrock wells in the region generally do not have good water qualities. The attempts to use groundwater from below the escarpment have often failed due to the high sulfur content of the extracted water. Most farmers in this area who do not have access to municipal water have been forced to construct cisterns and truck in water for their household consumption. However, the Niagara Water Quality Protection Strategy suggests that there is overburden aquifer potential in the area below the escarpment along Lake Ontario. In Pelham, use of groundwater for irrigation is more common. Personal interviews, however, indicate that there is substantial competition for the available groundwater in the Pelham tender fruit area; hence major increases in the use of groundwater may be problematic. Surface Streams and Runoff There are 4898 km of streams in the Niagara Region, averaging 2.02 km of drainage channel per square kilometer. The average annual urban and rural storm runoffs are 56 million cubic meters and 27 million cubic meters, respectively (Regional Municipality of Niagara, 2003). Unfortunately, most of the runoff occurs during periods of rain, which would be of no use for irrigation unless sufficient on-farm water storage is constructed to retain the runoff for use during dry periods. Those who irrigate with runoff and stream water generally have on-farm water storage ponds or cisterns. This system functions well during normal precipitation years, but often experiences supply shortages during dry years. Figure 2-3 shows the classification of the streams in the Region according to the importance of their fish habitat Designated Natural Environmental Areas The Region s Policy Plan (Regional Municipality of Niagara, 2004) notes that much of what makes the Niagara Region distinctive is its unique natural features and the quality and extent of its environmental resources. Section seven of the Policy Plan identifies these features and outlines measures for their protection and management. All development must be designed and located so as not to adversely affect wetlands, fish and wildlife habitats, source areas, or other areas of visual and environmental significance. Some of these features are described below. 7 This section is mainly based on Niagara Water Strategy Protection Strategy (Regional Municipality of Niagara, 2003), and interviews with farmers. ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.9

8 The Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is the most prominent topographical feature in southern Ontario. It consists of a largely forested corridor spanning 725 km in length through one of the most populated areas in Canada. In 1990, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named the Escarpment a World Biosphere Reserve, recognizing this internationally significant ecosystem and the commitment to maintain and protect this special environment. It is important for its unique species, geological interest and hydrological functions. The Escarpment creates a natural elevation divide though the study area. This large elevation difference imposes a technical challenge such as the introduction of pressure zoning, pumping, etc., if the lands divided by the escarpment are serviced by the same water distribution system. Development within the Escarpment is administered by the Niagara Escarpment Commission and controlled by the Niagara Escarpment Plan which outlines land use designations, development criteria and permitted uses. The Plan Area is divided into seven land use designations as shown on Figure 2-4. Irrigation infrastructure would be permitted in all designations except for the Escarpment Natural Areas and the Mineral Resource Extraction Areas where only existing and essential irrigation infrastructure is permitted. To traverse these restricted areas, all other possible routes must be considered and proven unfeasible. Water taking from this area is permitted also with the exception of the Escarpment Natural Areas and the Mineral Resource Extraction Areas. Water takings in the Plan Area are subject to the same application process as other areas with the environmental and hydrological impacts of the taking subject to the approval and review of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environment. For all development within the Plan Area that will affect water resources, the developer must ensure that changes to natural drainage is avoided, a setback must be maintained from a water body to ensure existing water quality is maintained, and sediment and erosion control practices must be incorporated. Development of water taking or irrigation infrastructure in the Plan Area would require a development permit issued by the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC). The NEC should be involved early in the evaluation of alternatives to ensure their input on any potential irrigation projects. ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.10

9 Environmentally Sensitive Areas The Region has recently identified a Natural Heritage System that consists of environmentally sensitive areas that have a special importance to the ecological health and integrity of the Niagara Region. This system consists of Provincial Policy areas, as shown on Figure 2-5, including major marshes and wetlands, important plant and wildlife habitats, Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), major forested areas and major landforms such as the Niagara Escarpment, as well as natural corridors that support the movement of wildlife and the dispersion of plant material that are vital to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. These areas are to be preserved, protected and conserved; therefore, only land uses that are compatible with their sensitive environmental functions and that will not damage these areas are permitted. Public utilities, such as irrigation infrastructure, are only permitted in or through environmentally sensitive areas if it can be demonstrated that the advantages of any project outweigh the disadvantages. As noted in Policy 7.B.7, the weighing of advantages must consider the value and sensitivity of the particular site, the expected impact of the project on the environmentally sensitive area, the need for and benefit of the proposed project and the advantages and disadvantages of alternative locations for the project. Where possible, the planning of water taking and infrastructure for irrigation purposes should be diverted away from the sensitive environmental features discussed above. Where it is impossible to do so, mitigation measures must be identified and incorporated into the design and construction so as to minimize any adverse impacts on these sensitive environmental features. We have also included the potential groundwater recharge areas of the Region on Figure 2-5. Although these recharge areas are not considered part of the Natural Heritage System, they may directly affect these sensitive ecological areas. 2.5 SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT As noted above, the Region, and the study area in particular, is comprised of both intensive urban centers as well as agricultural and rural settings, interspersed throughout with natural environment features. These variations in land use and intensity of development may make the passage of infrastructure difficult, therefore the location and infrastructure pathway will have to be carefully planned and sited, in accordance with both the Region s and the local municipality s planning regulations. Additionally, the planning and phasing of a project such as this that spans several local municipalities, will have to carefully evaluate the responsibility and role of each municipality depending upon the benefits received. ajh w:\active\ \preliminary\report\project report - draft\rpt_projectreport_ doc 2.13