The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is welcoming the changes that the P.E.I. government is making to the Water Act, the group says in a news release on Feb. 22.
“The Water Act is a valuable piece of legislation which will enshrine in law the rights and responsibilities of Islanders with respect to water use and sustainability, and protect the Island’s water resources,” the board says in the release.
The group is also happy to hear P.E.I. will be moving forward with proposed research by the Canadian Rivers Institute and the University of P.E.I. on the impacts of high capacity wells for agricultural irrigation on the environment
“Farmers are confident that this project will confirm for fellow Islanders in an open and transparent manner that responsible use of high capacity wells for supplemental irrigation can occur in Prince Edward Island without detrimental effects to household wells or flows to rivers and streams,” the release notes.
The announced enhancements for soil health programming is also welcome, the board says. They have been involved in research and extension projects related to improving soil health, preventing soil erosion, and diversifying crop rotations for the past number of years, in partnership with the P.E.I. Department of Agriculture and Land, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and others.
“The extremely dry and hot summers in recent years have harmed a number of Island family farms. Islanders know the impact that the dry conditions have had on their lawns and gardens, and farmers have experienced those same challenges but on a scale that impacts their ability to continue to farm,” the board says in the release.
