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 |
This project will support the management of livestock surface water in the Cariboo through three different activities: undertaking climate and surface water mapping for 44 range units; piloting a training workshop to demonstrate a previously developed surface water risk assessment process; and planning three demonstration projects to test and evaluate livestock surface water developments on high-risk range units.
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. This project will increase the knowledge of producers, and agriculture support people, and enhance their ability to manage increasingly dry conditions using the process and associated maps.
The demonstration sites were identified through an earlier CAI project that tested a new livestock surface water risk assessment process. The process assesses how existing surface water resources will be impacted by climate change and combines that information with forage availability data to assist with managing range in hotter and drier conditions.
This project will:
- produce the maps, resources and data required for a surface water assessment on additional range units in the Cariboo (for a total of 44 range units)
- develop and pilot a training workshop to demonstrate how to use and apply a surface water assessment and planning process
- identify, plan and help coordinate three water demonstration pilot projects with producer co-operators and range staff
- develop a plan for monitoring, evaluating and transferring knowledge about the three pilot projects