Cariboo – Livestock Surface Water & Forage Risk Assessment Tool Extension & Engagement [cb11]
| Region | Cariboo |
| Status | in progress: Oct 2018 to Mar 2019 |
| Project Lead | Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association |
| Funding Partners | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, BC Ministry of Agriculture |
| Other Partners | BC FLNRORD Range Practices and Ecology Branch, BC FLNRORD Cariboo Chilcotin District Range Staff |
Shifts in climate conditions and hydrology are likely to significantly impact surface water sources in some areas of the Cariboo, which will in turn impact the availability of water for livestock. Pilot projects to test, demonstrate and evaluate water development approaches, focused on sustainable management of water and forage resources in the context of a changing climate, will have growing importance to the cattle and other grazing livestock industries.
The Cariboo – Livestock Surface Water Assessment & Options project, completed in 2017, developed a systematic (step-wise) process for assessing the risks to surface water resources, and the relationship to the forage resource. This process was then applied to three range unit case studies.
This project will build on the previous project to: (1) produce the maps, resources and data required for a surface water assessment on additional range units in the Cariboo, (2) develop and pilot a training workshop to demonstrate how to use and apply the surface water assessment and planning tool, and (3) identify, plan and assist with coordinating three water development projects with producer cooperators and range staff, including a monitoring, evaluation and knowledge transfer plan for the three projects.