Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative Brent Paterson, P.Ag. Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

ABSTRACT

The Oldman River Basin is located in the semi-arid region of southwestern Alberta, and is home to approximately 200,000 people on farms, in towns and villages and the city of Lethbridge. The majority of Alberta's 600,000 ha of irrigation is located in or adjacent to this basin. The basin also contains numerous industries and intensive livestock operations. As the intensive livestock industry expanded, increasing concerns were being expressed, mainly from urban residents, regarding water quality in the Oldman River. This caused a polarization between the urban and rural residents of the region. The Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative was formed to bring together leaders from health, agriculture, environment, education, industry, and government to: assess the quality of water in the Oldman River basin; develop an integrated plan to mitigate existing problems; and promote practice change in both urban and rural areas to protect water quality in the future. An action plan was developed and implemented in 1998. A comprehensive water flow and water quality monitoring program was carried out in 1998 and 1999 at 38 sites that included the main stem of the Oldman River, major tributaries, irrigation return flow streams and wastewater treatment facilities. Samples were analyzed for a variety of chemical parameters, pesticides and bacteria. One urban area in Lethbridge and two agricultural sub-basins were selected to test and demonstrate how beneficial management practices (BMPs) will improve water quality. Results from the Initiative show that while water quality of the Oldman River is generally good to excellent, there is room for improvement. Water quality in the river generally decreases as it flows downstream from the headwaters to the confluence with the Bow River. The quality of many of the tributaries and surface drains that flow into the Oldman River in the settled areas is often poor. Wastewater effluent from towns and the City of Lethbridge is always poor quality. While each of these water sources by themselves do not have a significant impact on the water quality of the Oldman River, their cumulative effects can be quite significant. Wastewater from the city of Lethbridge was responsible for the majority of fecal coliform, phosphorus and nitrogen loading in the Oldman River prior to a major upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant in 1999. Controlling runoff in urban and rural areas is critical for improvement of water quality in irrigation return flow streams, tributaries, and the Oldman River. Significant improvement of the water quality in the Oldman River can be achieved by improving water quality in tributaries, drains, and wastewater treatment systems that flow into the river. The Initiative has been successful in helping both urban and rural stakeholders understand that improving the water quality in the Oldman River basin is a shared responsibility.

WATER ì Its Role In Food Safety

And Environmental Sustainability
Brent Paterson, P.Ag.1

INTRODUCTION

It is generally accepted that water will be the major driving force for agriculture and food production in the 21st century. Decisions related to water supply, access to water, efficient use of water, and water quality will dominate the world's agricultural landscape and dramatically change how we view agricultural production and food supply.

The world's population is currently at about 6 billion and is growing at an annual rate of 1.2 percent, or about 77 million per year (United Nations 2001). Projections for growth are variable, with the United Nations (2001) suggesting that the population will increase to about 8.1 billion by 2030 and 9.3 billion by 2050, using a medium variant value (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Estimated population of the world by projection variant

Approximately half of the anticipated population growth is expected to come from six countries: India (21 percent); China (12 percent); Pakistan (5 percent); Nigeria (4 percent); Bangladesh (4 percent); and Indonesia (3 percent) (United Nations 2001). The population of the less developed regions is projected to increase from 4.9 billion in 2000 to 8.2 billion in 2050 (United Nations 2001). In the more developed countries, the current population of 1.2 billion is not expected to change significantly over the next 50 years. In fact, a number of more developed countries are expected to see a reduction in population (United Nations 2001).

Approximately 815 million people in the world were undernourished in 1999, with nearly all of those located in the less developed countries (FAO 2001a). Figure 2 shows the number of undernourished people by region, and the changes between 1990 to 1992 and 1997 to 1999.

Figure 2. Number of undernourished people by region (from de Haen 2001)

FOOD REQUIREMENTS

Given the continued population growth, a combination of increased food production and more equitable distribution of available food will be required (FAO 2001a). FAO (2000) estimates that world cereal production will have to increase by almost 1 billion tonnes by 2030 from the current level of 1.84 billion tonnes. However, it has been suggested that this increased production requirement may be low, given the continued demand for meat products resulting from economic growth in the developing world (Fresco and Rabbinge 1997). From the 1970s to the mid 1990s, meat consumption in developing countries increased by 70 million tonnes, which is almost 3 times the increased demand in developed countries (Delgado et al. 2001). This increased demand for meat will greatly increase the requirement for grain production, since the production of 1 kg of chicken meat requires at least 3 kg of grain equivalents, 1 kg of pork requires 5 kg of grain equivalents and 1 kg of beef requires at least 8 kg of grain equivalents. As a result, 7.3 to 18.8 billion tones of grain equivalents may be required to meet the annual food demands, with about 50 percent of that demand from Asia (Fresco and Rabbinge 1997).

CROP PRODUCTION

At present, about 1.5 billion ha of land is used for crop production. Historically, agricultural growth has been more than sufficient to meet the demands of the world's population. Continued expansion of the agricultural land base was a standard practice to meet increased demand for food in many parts of the world. However, increasing population pressures will in fact result in a decline in the per capita land base. The world's harvested area is projected to decrease (Figure 3) from the current 0.113 ha/person to 0.083 ha/person by 2030 (Worldwatch Institute 2001). More recently, attempts to increase production in many countries has led to expansion of the agricultural land base on marginal lands, and often at the expense of valuable forest and grazing lands. It is clear that the ability to feed the world's growing population will increasingly depend on an ever-shrinking agricultural land base and increased competition for limited water supplies.

Crop production is expected to grow at only 1.3 percent per year from now until 2030. This is significantly less than the annual growth of 2.2 percent during the past 30 years. For developing countries, where the growth rate was 3.1 percent for the past 30 years, the projected growth of 1.3 percent represents a significant decline in production.

Figure 3. World population relative to per capita grain harvested area

WATER AVAILABILITY

The total amount of water in the world is approximately 1.4 billion km3, of which 97.5 percent is salt water and only 2.5 percent (35 million km3) is fresh water. Of this, about 25 million km3 are unavailable as glacial ice and snow and 10.7 million km3 is ground water. Rivers, which are the most visible form of fresh water, account for less than 0.01 percent of all forms of fresh water.

The human population is currently using about 50 percent of the approximately 12 500 km3 of water that is readily available in the world (United Nations 2001). If consumption per person remains steady, approximately 70 percent of the available water would be used by 2025. If per capita consumption everywhere in the world reached the level of the developed countries, about 90 percent of the available water would be used by 2025. At a time when more water is required for agricultural production, there are increased pressures to shift water away from growing crops towards domestic and industrial use.

A population increase of 50 percent in the next 50 years, combined with increased per capita consumption and increasing environmental needs, will stress water availability even further. The United Nations (2001) projects that about 67 percent of the world's population will face moderate to high water stress by 2025.

Climate change will undoubtedly play a role in future water availability. Decreased precipitation combined with increased average temperatures could significantly reduce water supplies in many parts of the world. A great deal of research work is currently underway to accurately assess the impacts of climate change on water supply at country and regional levels. It is generally agreed that the Prairie Provinces are very sensitive to the impacts of climate change.

In some arid and semi-arid regions of the world, water scarcity is already a problem. This situation is becoming more urgent as a result of the following factors.

A growing share of food is being produced on irrigated areas.

There is a rapid and significant increase in water use for industry, households, and the environment.

There is significant evidence of water quality deterioration, which effectively reduces the availability of water.

Groundwater supplies water for 33 percent of the world's population (United Nations 1999). For many countries that depend on groundwater for irrigation, exploitation of the groundwater aquifers has led to a significant decline in the water table and, in many instances, a net reduction in the irrigated area. In Northern China for example, total groundwater use is estimated to be 55.5 billion m3 per year, the same volume as Egypt's total water allocation from the Nile River. The groundwater pumping is about 130 percent of the safe exploitation volume for the aquifers, and is clearly not sustainable. In India and Pakistan more than 1 million irrigation wells are being added each year (Molden et al. 2001). In India, groundwater pumping exceeds recharge by a factor of two or more, resulting in aquifers being drawn down by 1 to 3 meters per year (Seckler et al. 1999). Potentially, India could see total crop production decrease by 25 percent if this situation continues. This would have a devastating impact on India's goal of food self-sufficiency.

Irrigation Development

Irrigation is currently practiced on about 264 million ha throughout the world, and is recognized as the cornerstone of world food security. Irrigation is carried out on about 17 percent of the world's agricultural land base, and contributes approximately 40 percent of the total crop production (Postel 1999). Approximately 70 percent of Canada's irrigation is located in Alberta, where about 600,000 ha of land is irrigated annually. This area represents about 5 percent of the agricultural land base, but produces between 16 to 20 percent of the province's agricultural gross domestic product.

Increased food production will depend to a great extent on the availability of water for irrigation. Between 2001 and 2025, approximately 80 percent of the additional food supplies required to feed the world's growing population will be produced on irrigated lands (FAO 2001b). By 2030, irrigation is expected to contribute almost 50 percent of the world's total crop production.

To meet the total increased needs for water, the world's primary water supply will need to effectively increase by about 41 percent or 860 km3 per year (Seckler et al 2000). This total increase is made up as follows:

• 22 percent to meet increasing demands;

• 9 percent to offset storage losses in reservoirs due to sedimentation; and

• 10 percent to offset excess groundwater pumping.

Urban Development

By 2015, approximately 53 percent of the world's population will live in cities, and this population is growing at an annual rate of 2.6 percent. By 2025, almost 5 billion people will live in cities, which is almost double the number in 1995 (Postel 1999). This will increase the share of water going to households and industries in developing countries from 13 percent to 27 percent of the total water use. Postel (1999) further suggests that if only half of this projected increase were to come from irrigation water, grain production could decrease by about 300 million tons, which is almost 1.5 times the current world grain exports.

In addition to the water supply issues of urbanization are the significant pollution problems that have arisen. The amount of pollutants discharged into waterways is increasing rapidly (Seckler and Amarasinghe 2000). As more water is being used for domestic and industrial needs, the pollutants in the shrinking water supply are becoming more and more concentrated. In many developing countries, vegetables are irrigated with untreated sewage water from nearby towns (Seckler and Amarasinghe 2000). This raises concerns about the health of people consuming these vegetables.

Virtual Trade in Water

Countries that are now and will continue to experience serious water shortages may be forced to shift water away from irrigation in order to meet increased domestic and industrial needs. Without major improvements in water efficiency and crop yields, these countries will be unable to be self-sustaining in food production. The concept of útrade in virtual waterî, which was first documented by T. Hall (1998) and discussed by Seckler and Amarasinghe (2000), proposes that countries with excess water would export food to water-scarce countries. Canada, which is relatively water-rich, would benefit significantly if this concept were to become a reality. However, there are significant economic and nationalistic barriers to overcome. All countries want to be self-sufficient in food supply, and imported food must be purchased with foreign exchange (Seckler and Amarasinghe 2000). A long-term úglobalî action plan will have to be developed and supported that will allow water scarce countries to meet the needs of their citizens. For some countries where the present reality of water scarcity is expected to worsen, the future survival of citizens could very well depend on this concept of útrade in virtual waterî.

Canada and Alberta

Canada is considered to be a water-rich country, given that about 7 percent of the world's renewable water supply is located in this country, and only 0.5 percent of the world's population. Canadians are among the highest per capita water users in the world. In spite of this, Canada, as a country, will not likely face water shortages in the foreseeable future. However, while Canada's freshwater supplies are more than sufficient to meet the country's current and future needs, it is recognized that freshwater supplies are not evenly distributed across the country. Parts of British Columbia and the southern Prairie Provinces experience significant soil moisture deficits during the summer growing season and suffer drought conditions on a regular basis.

In Alberta, only about 10 percent of the renewable water flow occurs in the North and South Saskatchewan River systems, where more than 90 percent of the province's population is located. It is very likely that water shortages will occur in those river basins as a result of continued population and economic development pressures. The Alberta Government is currently undertaking several studies to evaluate the water supply and future water requirements in Alberta to ensure that policies and programs can be put in place before significant problems occur. Conservation and increased water use efficiency are key actions that can significantly reduce the amount of water currently being withdrawn from both surface and groundwater sources.

WATER QUALITY

Pollution of the world's water supplies is an ever-increasing global concern. Health concerns are related to excessive levels of pesticides, bacteria nitrates and heavy metals in both surface and ground water. Eutrophication of surface water as a result of excess nutrient loading leads to increased algal growth and reduced oxygen content.

In the past, dilution of pollutants was achievable because water supplies were not fully utilized. It is now recognized that dilution cannot continue to solve this problem as water supplies become fully allocated.

The sources of water pollutants are many, but agriculture is, with increasing frequency, listed as a major contributor. Agricultural operations can contribute to water quality degradation through the loss of many substances including; sediments, pesticides, nutrients and bacteria. Conversely, it is recognized that the agriculture industry depends on good quality water to sustain and increase the production of safe and marketable food supplies. Agriculture has a vested interest in ensuring that water resources are of the highest quality possible quality now and in to the future.

In the United States, agriculture is considered to be the leading source of degradation of the rivers and lakes. It is estimated that over 70 percent of assessed rivers and over 50 percent of assessed lakes are impacted by agriculture activities. These findings are partially supported by studies carried out in Alberta. One study involved an intensive surface water quality monitoring program in the Oldman River Basin as part of the Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative. A synoptic survey of the Oldman River in 1999 found that contributions from municipal wastewater treatment plants contributed about 90 percent of the Fecal Coliform and Total Phosphorus and over 65 percent of the total Nitrogen load to the river. However, the study also showed that agriculture is having a significant impact on the water quality in tributaries and surface drains that flow into the Oldman River. This conclusion is supported by a major study that was carried out from 1992 to 1997 to assess the impacts of agriculture on surface and ground water quality. The study focused on agricultural watersheds throughout the province and concluded that surface and shallow, unconfined groundwater was being negatively impacted by agriculture activities. While the study did not assess specific causes of the problem, the data strongly points to activities related to livestock operations as the major agricultural contributor of excess nutrients and pathogens to the surface and shallow groundwater resources. Manure spreading and cattle wintering are the two main concerns that need to be addressed.

The Alberta evidence suggests that agriculture is a significant contributor to water quality degradation in predominantly rural watersheds. However, where municipal and industrial development is prominent, agriculture's impact is not the main source of water quality degradation.

Both point and non-point sources of water pollution arise from agricultural activities. In Canada, point sources are relatively easy to assess and control. Non-point sources are much more difficult because pollutants can move into water sources at numerous locations that can be very difficult to measure and quantify. In the past, countries have tended to manage point sources in an effort to improve water quality. In the future, more attention will have to be spent on understanding and resolving non-point source pollution.

CURRENT AND FUTURE ACTIONS

Concerns about Alberta's long-term water requirements prompted the Alberta Government to implement a province-wide strategy that will assess future water supply needs and management options. In conjunction with this work is a more detailed study of the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) that is reviewing current and future water requirements to meet municipal, agricultural, and industry needs, and to determine the availability of water for river flows required to adequately protect the aquatic environment.

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD), in partnership with the agricultural industry, aggressively examined agriculture's impact on water quality in Alberta and looked for ways to reduce the losses of nutrients, pesticides and micro-organisms to both surface and groundwater sources. The following are examples of water quality programs and projects in the province.

• AESA Water Quality Monitoring - Through the Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) program, regular water quality monitoring is being carried out on streams in 24 representative agricultural watersheds throughout Alberta. The monitoring is being carried out to determine agriculture's impact on water quality over time.
  A report is prepared each year which: summarizes the water quality for each watershed; compares the water quality results between watersheds; and compares water quality results for each year.

• Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA) - AAFRD, in consultation with the agricultural industry, developed and implemented this Act to ensure the sustainability of Alberta's livestock industry while protecting the province's natural resources. AOPA is managed and administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB). Regulations now require:

• All manure be contained and stored safely to prevent contamination of groundwater or streams, lakes and other surface waters;

• An approval, registration or authorization for all manure storage facilities prior to construction;

• Enforceable limits on the amount of manure that can be spread on land;

• All new and existing confined feeding operations, as well as cow-calf seasonal feeding and bedding sites, to manage sites to avoid contamination of water bodies; and

• All agricultural operations comply with new manure management standards.

• Environmental Farm Plan - This is an industry-led initiative that strives to increase awareness of producers through a confidential self-assessment program that allows each producer to evaluate the environmental sustainability of his/her operation. Remedial actions can be taken by producers to improve practices that may negatively impact the quality of soil and water resources.

• Phosphorus Limits Study - The industry led Livestock Regulatory Stakeholder Advisory Committee recognized during the development of the Agricultural Operation Practices Act that insufficient science existed to include phosphorus in the Act. This committee therefore requested that soil phosphorus standards be developed for all agriculture lands in the province. This study was initiated in 1999 and includes an intensive research and monitoring program to determine how soil phosphorus is lost to surface water, and what levels of phosphorus can be tolerated in the soil profile in order to prevent excess phosphorus in surface water sources. This project is being integrated into a new initiative that has the objective of evaluating, developing and demonstrating best management practices for all nutrients being used by producers.

• Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative - This initiative, started in 1997, brings together stakeholders from many backgrounds - health, agriculture, environment, education, industry and three levels of government. They are working towards a common goal ì to ensure the supply of good quality water to both urban and rural residents living in the Oldman River Basin. The lessons learned from this Initiative are of interest to watershed groups in Alberta and Canada.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no dispute that the world is headed for a crisis in water supply and water quality. The scope and nature of this world problem has been measured and discussed in numerous studies. Water scarcity is the reality today for up to 25 percent of the world's population, and undernourishment is the reality for almost 15 percent of the world's population. The expected increase in the population from 6 billion in 2000 to more than 8 billion by 2030 will place significant pressure on the world's limited water supply for domestic use, food production and industrial needs. Without significant changes in the use and management of the water resources, almost 67 percent of the world's population will face moderate to severe water scarcity by 2025. While scientific evidence demonstrates that the opportunity for global water and food security does indeed exist, translating these results into integrated actions by countries, continents and the entire global community continues to be a major challenge.

Alberta is perfectly positioned to help provide the increased food production required to meet the demands of the growing world population. However, even though Alberta is located in one of the most water-rich countries of the world, a significant part of the province will face future water shortages as a result of population increases, and industrial development. Improved management of the limited water resources in the southern half of the province will be a critical requirement to reduce the need for future water storage and water transfer projects.

In addition to water supply concerns, water quality is also an issue in Alberta. Agriculture is identified as a significant source of contaminants in surface and shallow groundwater, particularly in watersheds that drain into tributaries and small streams. The agriculture industry and Alberta Government are devoting significant resources and funds to mitigate existing water quality problems and ensure that future agricultural development will be sustainable.

REFERENCE

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2000. Agriculture: Towards 2015/30. Technical Interim Report. Rome, Italy.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2001a. The state of food insecurity in the world. Rome, Italy.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2001b. Overview Paper: irrigation management transfer ì sharing lessons from global experience. International e-mail conference on irrigation management transfer.

Fresco, L.O and Rabbinge, R. 1997. Keeping world food security on the agenda: implications for the United Nations and CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). The World Bank, Washington D.C.

De Haen, H. Assistant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Presentation at FAO Conference, November 2-13 2001.

Delgado, C.L., Rosegrant, M.W. and Meijer, S. 2001. Annual meetings of the International Trade Research Consortium (IATRC), Aukland, New Zealand, January 18-19, 2001.

Hall, T. 1998. Moving water to satisfy uneven global needs: úTradingî water as an alternative to engineering it. ICID Journal 47(2): 1-8.

Molden, D., U. Amarasinghe and I. Hussain. 2001. Water for rural development: background paper on water for rural development prepared for the World Bank. International Water Management Institute (IWMI). IWMI, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Postel, Sandra. 1999. Pillar of sand: can the irrigation miracle last? Worldwatch Institute. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York.

Seckler, D., D. Molden, and R. Barker. 1999. Water scarcity in the twenty-first century. IWMI Brief. International Water Management Institute. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Seckler, David and Upali Amarasinghe. 2000. Water supply and demand, 1995 to 2025: water scarcity and major issues. In: World Water Supply and Demand: 1995 to 2025. International Water Management Institute. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Seckler, David, David Molden, Upali Amarasinghe and Charlotte de Fraiture. 2000. Overview of the data and analysis. In: World Water Supply and Demand: 1995 to 2025. International Water Management Institute. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

United Nations. 1999. World population prospects: the 1998 revision. United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations, New York, New York.

United Nations. 2001. World population monitoring: population, environment and development. United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations, New York, New York.

Worldwatch Institute. 2001. Compiled by Worldwatch Institute from: FAO Production Yearbook, 1996 and from USDA Production, Supply and Distribution electronic database, Washington, D.C.

¹ Head, Irrigation Branch, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. This paper is adapted from a presentation to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) Congress in Montreal, Quebec, July, 2002.