With the rapid expansion in tile drainage of farmland in southern Manitoba, figuring out the impact of tile from a water management perspective has become a priority for provincial and municipal governments.
Around two hundred provincial and municipal officials, as well as installers and farmers, met in Winkler on Wednesday for a tile drainage summit.
"We need to better understand how tile drainage systems operate, how they're installed and how they can be managed to bring benefit to people who use them," says Doug Chorney, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. "That's the reason why this meeting was pulled together, and clearly by the level of interest we think we're on the right path."
Chorney is a member of the province's working group that has helped craft new water management regulations, which will include a specific section on tile drainage. The government is seeking input for the proposed rules until the end of the calendar year.
"We want to get all the facts out early so that when the regulations do get developed, they'll better reflect what's needed," he explains. "We don't want to create regulations that impede the ability to use it as an important tool, because we know in other provinces and states where they've used tile drainage, it's been a real successful tool for them."
Several MLAs and other elected officials attended the meeting in Winkler.
"It's important that we have everybody in the Legislature taking time to understand this issue well," says Chorney. "We'll have a stronger regulation that works well for everybody if we have a good consultation process all along."
Source: SteinbachOnline