b"Water FreedomPotato growers in Prince Edward Island are applauding long overdue changes to irrigation regulations.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONIT WAS SUPPOSED to be for one year only when the Princewater, comes from ground water. The moratorium applied only Edward Island provincial government placed a moratorium onto agriculture, other businesses such as golf courses, could still high capacity wells for irrigation in 2001. Instead, it lasted for twowater their fields.decades, causing countless potato crops to wilt under dry, hotAgriculture could still apply for low capacity wells or build summers. irrigation ponds, but high capacity wells were off the table. We may only need irrigation in some years. And even in theAccording to the P.E.I. governments website, a high capacity well years we do need it, we may only need a few applications. So,is defined as any well where four litres per second or more of it's supplemental irrigation, Greg Donald, manager of the P.E.I.water is extracted. Currently there are approximately 308 high Potato Board, explains in a phone interview. capacity wells on the Island.P.E.I. is known for its sprawling potato fields. Most years the Maritime province holds the title of the potato capital of Canada and usually those fields are lush and green. P.E.I. has a mild maritime climate, strongly influenced by the warm waters ofAt the time, it was a one-year the Gulf of St. Lawrence, making it differ from many of its Northmoratorium until they kind of said American potato growing region counterparts, meaning theywait a second, theres a lot of farms receive on average 890 mm of rain. The last three years have been really dry. And especially lastapplying for these wells. We better year, like as bad as we all were here, one of our worst years wasmake sure that we understand the 2001. The central part of P.E.I. the drought was so bad that last year that yields were off in that part of the island by as much asresource and we have a good process 35 per cent, Donald explains. in place for permitting. As the provincial government reviewed its water regulations during these dry years, it quickly became clear agricultureGREG DONALDneeded to be included in the changes.History of the MoratoriumIn 2001, P.E.I. was hit hard with a horrible drought. PotatoThe lack of access to water was beginning to hamper the Islands growers across the Island needed water for their crops andagricultural prospects, especially with the option to expand started applying for high capacity well permits. production area off the table due to the provinces small land base. At the time, it was a one-year moratorium until they kind ofIt was getting real clear to the public here that if we want said wait a second, there's a lot of farms applying for these wells.food production and farmers, we're going to need to and design We better make sure that we understand the resource and we(a system) there to make sure we protect the resource in our have a good process in place for permitting, Donald explains. environment, as well we need water for food production, In P.E.I. all the provinces water supply, including drinkingDonald says.20SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2021"