Applying water soft path analysis in an agricultural region of Canada

Abstract

The current study extends past work on water soft path analysis in breadth and in depth: in breadth by studying an area devoted to large-scale prairie agriculture, and in depth by adding direct interaction with water managers and citizens of the Pembina Valley Conservation District in the Province of Manitoba, Canada. The main conclusion from the study is that the region can continue to be a prosperous and attractive place in which to live and to farm for at least 30 years without a single additional drop of water.

Keyword:

• water soft paths
• water demand
• water demand management
• agricultural water use
• Canada

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Royal Bank of Canada's Blue Water Project and the Manitoba Ministry of Water Stewardship for financial support of this project. We also want to acknowledgement the help of many people at the Ministry of Water Stewardship and the staff and officers of the PVCD for their logistical and professional help over the course of our study. The paper also benefited from the advice of Dr Edna Loehman.

Notes

1. http://www.pvcd.ca/

2. http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/

3. http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/commercial_laundry.aspx. See also Vickers (2002).

4. Natural Resources Canada, Better Water Use Means Bigger Savings:http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-homes/water-conservation.cfm?attr=4 (lastvisited Oct. 9, 2011).