October 21, 2004 general meeting

A general meeting of the SCWMC was held in Yorkton on October 21, 2004. Committee members and resource staff were in attendance to listen to a presentation by Jim Rogers of Environment Canada.

He spoke on the function and responsibilities of the Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB). The presentation involved the allocation formula used on inter-provincial water resources shared between Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Each province has to pass on 50 per cent of its natural flow to the next province.

The function of the PPWB is to stop arguments between the provinces on water issues and disputes by consensus. The Board is made up of five individuals: one from each of the three prairie provinces, and two from the federal government. The chair and vice chair are from the federal government. Water resources are the sole responsibility of the provinces, but the PPWB is becoming involved with water quality.

The meeting was informed that in 2003, a total of 2.5 million hogs were produced in Saskatchewan. Prices improved in 2004. The U.S. has imposed a 14.06% tariff on all hogs entering the country.

Water sampling will be done in the spring of 2005 during runoff. Soil sampling this fall and crop yield analysis has been completed except on the Matsalla quarter, which is still in canola swath and will likely remain so till the spring.

July 15, 2004 general meeting:

A general meeting of the committee members was held in Yorkton on July 15, 2004. All committee members were in attendance.

The soil committee visited all the co-operators in May. Keith Head has recommended to the landowners to add an additional 30 to 40 pounds of nitrogen to their designated fields this year.

The water committee reported that all spring runoff sampling results have been completed and analyzed, and that nine wells and 25 dugouts were sampled in the Rama area. In addition six sites were sampled on the Swan River (Pelly area).

No more sampling is planned for the Pelly region, and runoff sampling in the Rama area is not contemplated for the next three to five years. No more sampling is planned for wells and dugouts, since we have excellent baseline sample information to base future water sampling analysis on.

Odour committee reported that the U of S is currently working on the report, which should be ready by the end of August for the committee to look over. The next meeting will be devoted to reviewing the document.

The weather station is now gone. Thank you to Sask Pork for financing this part of the odour project. On behalf of the SCWMC, Don Walter has joined the lower Assiniboine River Advisory Committee (Whitesand River component), a project being organized by Sask Water for the Assiniboine Watershed region to analyze water quality issues and safeguard future concerns for the people in the region. Don Olson is a member of the upper Assiniboine River Advisory Committee on behalf of the Town of Sturgis, and Ernie Patrick is also a member representing the hog industry in Saskatchewan.

Big Sky Farms reported that construction has been progressing well on the Porcupine complex, with the third finishing barn being constructed near Chelan, and the feed mill nearing completion by Porcupine Plain. All permits are in place for the Pelly project with construction expected to start in 2005. Production levels are excellent, especially at Rama. U.S average is 16.2 piglets per sow annually, and at Rama the results are 27 piglets per sow, with 25 reaching market annually. Big Sky Farms Ltd. continues to look into new developments concerning bio-digesters and the practical use in their operations. By the end of June, 2004 Big Sky had spread 74 million gallons of manure on adjoining fields. By the end of 2004 they anticipate pumping a total of 160 million gallons. Odour complaints are declining in number.

April 1, 2004 general meeting:

A general meeting of the committee members was held at the Yorkton Rural Service Center on April 1, 2004. All committee members were in attendance.

Gilbert Combres, the Senior Public Health Inspector with the Sunrise Health Region joined the meeting to answer any questions or concerns about health issues resulting from ILOs. The mandate of regulations and enforcement lies with Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & RR. Sask Health seems satisfied with the arrangement.

Sask Heath's mandate involves water sampling on wells of less than 15 users, mainly R.M. wells and farms. Saskatchewan Environment is involved with larger systems, especially villages and up.

Discussion on the future of SCWMC followed. The odour research survey will be completed this year, probably this fall with the final report being completed by then (August 2004). Water sampling results have compiled a good benchmark baseline to compare future results to, and after this spring's runoff, the number of water sampling sites should be reduced (sampling area smaller). The soil monitoring project is scheduled for completion with its final report due probably around the end of 2005, after this fall and next fall's soil sampling field program is completed.

The committee felt that at the end of 2005, all monitoring programs that the SCWMC has started will be completed, and the committee could be dissolved by the Minister. The water and especially the soil monitoring program becomes more valuable with time, and these programs should continue to be sampled periodically, perhaps every 2 years, to build a solid base of data results for future credibility issues.

The committee members felt the SCWMC has been a worthwhile exercise, people are more consciences of their water quality now in the Rama area.

Water sampling will continue this spring in the Pelly area, and then will be terminated.

Soil sampling program should continue after the final report is completed at the end of 2005. Maybe Sask Pork or Sask Ag would continue program periodically (every 2 or 3 year intervals).

The last odour sample was collected from the barn vents on March 25, 2004 for the report to be compiled by the U of S. The final report should be ready by August and will include the data collected by the nasal rangers, the barns and EMS's, and the survey participants in the 5 mile radius of the barns.

The odour survey (forms currently being sent in from the participants in the 5 mile zone) will end at the end of April, 2005.

The bulk of the odour is a result of the barns (vents) and not the EMSs, as they are still froze solid.

February 5, 2004 general meeting:

The general meeting of the SCWMC was held February 5, 2004 in Yorkton. It was very well attended, with special guests in attendance from Manitoba Agriculture, Saskatchewan Agriculture and the Rural Municipality of Big Quill 338.

Two presentations were made regarding digesters:

• Digester Manure Treatment Facility;
• Digester Start Up Concerns and Findings.

The new revised web site in now up and running, and can be accessed at www.spiritcreek.ca.

The final report on the 2003 soil monitoring program is complete, and all the results from the 2003 water sampling program are in and documented. The odour research project is continuing with the University of Saskatchewan.

A new issue of the newsletter, The Monitor is planned for April.

The next general meeting of the committee is tentatively planned for April.