What would you do?

[freewheat]

So as many of you know, I couldn't seed anything this past spring because of excess rainfall in our area. We are in an area of a drainage moratoriam, and are not allowed to move water off of our land, because downstream cottage owners raised a stink even when we have had more than double our normal ANNUAL precip in 4 months. So precious cottages take precedent over farmers feeding stated cottage owners.

So, we have a fair bit of water still standing on the land, and if it is not released, next year seems pretty iffy for us to seed again.

If one is found draining the farmland, here is the scoop.

The watershed authority will ask you refill the drainage channels. If you don't in a specified time, they will do it at your expense.

So, I could borrow my neighbors v ditcher, use it on my desired areas, and get rid of the water, and when the water is gone in a couple days, I could fill em in. I farm a bunch of land that is not visible to passers by, no roads, no good access, and so I probly wouldn't be noticed at all.

I am not one to bend rules, to do illegal things, but if I don't get a crop next year I'm screwed. I have had three of the last five years affected by this moratorium, with one year getting 10% seeded, another 50%, and finally this year 0%. It is my livelihood fellas. VS cottage owners property.

Here is the kicker. The authority found ag drainage impacts lake levels by about 8 cm, or 3.14 inches. # measly inches, when we get forty inches of rain this year scince may, 35 inches of which run off the land to the stated lake. Unreal hey?

Would you do it?

[BTOfarmall]

Better Get at'r, otherwise we'll be seeing you in the 2011 Ritchie Bro's Catalogue....

Oh ya Mr. Notill better dust the cob webs off the old CCIL. No-till is going to break the bank!! Long live workin' ground!!!

[wd9]

Ditch drain and refill. Bet if you carefully read the bylaw there are loopholes. Seems you have one already but maybe landscaping may be a way around as opposed to drainage ditch. Its all in the wording.

[oneoff]

Such advice; way to go wd9. I don't know what bylaw you refer to; because you should be talking about SaskWater and Environment acts and regulations.
This does say a lot about how wd9 looks at solving his own problems.

[TOM4CWB]

Oneoff,

What was that?

I agree with WD9. It may be possible to 'consolidate' enough water in approved holding areas... while at the same time retaining the prescribed amount of water required to 'balance' the water system. In Alberta a few years back water consolidation was a legit method of drainage maintanance.

[agstar77]

Better to have all water in one spot rather than ruin an entire field. Only problem is overflow to someone else. Construction of on farm storage structures might be the ultimate solution.

[wd9]

Yes oneoff, don't use your head, sit around and wait for the NFU to solve your problem.

[silverback]

Get to work on it if your farm is at stake. Tell the nanny state to stuff it or fix it after you finally get a crop off.

[GALAXIE500]

Howdy from SW Sask. By all means , if making a ditch gets you back on your land , then do it! The window to seed rye or winter wheat isnt closed yet, and I know that it doesn't give you a return like lots of other crops, BUT... it will suck up a hell of a lot of that moisture , and hope fully give you a good crop next year. It works down here anyways. Good luck and don't let those legal assholes intimidate you. They got their job by looking in a book, not being on the land. Take care.

[ado089]

I don't know about you but all I'm doing is clearing "beaver dams" and making the current drainage more "efficient". Do what you have to do and beg for forgiveness later. My expererience with the watershed is if you make a big enough mess fast enough they roll over because it becomes too much work to fix the problem. Good luck.

[ado089]

BTW does anyone have a couple of pails of amonium nitrate kicking around?

[checking]

It's kind of a cut and dry situation, as I see it, freewheat, or in your case (wet!). DRAINAGE MORATORIAM. Anyone that can find some wiggle room in the wording of such an order should be lawyer, not a farmer. They are also not the one on the hook for the damages that could be levelled.

This is not the same situation as a disgruntled neighbour, who for all reasons except water, launches a complaint because he knows it is the only way to cause you grief. On that, you at least have a fighting chance that the neighbour will lose as much sleep over the following years, before it's settled with an order, as you will. You also have the chance that you were right to do what you did, and even if it goes the opposite way, remember the neighbour just set the same rules for himself.

But a drainage moratorium, and you guys are telling him to do it. How many of you have been through the process to offer such encouragement?

[freewheat]

Checking, I guess I'll just go broke then, eh? Because of a lack of any common sense whatsoever. They worry about 8 cm when it rains 100 cm. The creek entering the lake is running as it has all year at nearly full spring runoff capacity.

Its kinda like gun control. Get everyone but crooks to register. In this case it is lets put a feel good moratorium on productive land, so it looks like we're doing something to save cabins in a flood plain/marsh, at the expense of food producers. Guess what? It doesn't stop 40 inches of rain from falling.

I guess the high levels of the lake in the 1910's and 1920'2 was caused by all that drainage. LOL

[booboo04]

The Drainage Moratorium is only in an area near Fishing Lake. It is roughly the size of an RM and the Yorkton Watershed Authority Office can tell you if you are in or out of the area. If you are outside the area, then find the adequate outlet, get landowner consents up to that outlet, and then you can get an Approval to Construct from The Watershed Authority.

[oneoff]

Ditch; drain and refill eh!
And you expect no one to complain; and you think that no one will scrutinize the level that you refilled it too.
And you wouldn't take it from me that you run the very strong risk of being held to "historical" water levels of every pothole and depressions that any one of the trenches could possibly have influenced. And that process will go on over a period of about a decade; during which you will have no idea of how deep your troble; or the financial impact of the losses you may end up being responsible for.
Few listen to my advice; but my advice is that wd9 knows nothing about this subject. Those who think begging for forgiveness; looking for loopholes that don't exist; and extrapolating nonsense into solutions; will find i a sure recipe for adding to your troubles.
Consolidating water on your own property and "adequate outlets" are fine and even sometimes a workable solution; but individual farmers don't get to make those decisions. When you are talking feet of rainfall over a quarter section; just what new lake on your property are you going to construct that does not impact someone; somewhere? And just who has every neighbor downstream that agrees with evreything you believe in. It's almost an impossible situation; and every last person who advises disregarding SaskWater and Environment rules and regulations are complete babbling idiots. Prove me wrong; or else quit giving foolish advice to people in desperate water problem situations.