Agricultural land in the West Kootenay Rural Development Institute, April 8, 2016

RACHAEL ROUSSIN

MASTER OF LAND AND WATER SYSTEMS, UBC

RACHAEL.ROUSSIN@GMAIL.COM, 250-231-2023

1) Introduction 2) Methodology 3) Results 4) Conclusions

Presentation Outline

Research Objectives 1. To assess the area of arable lands within the West Kootenay region (Class 1 - 5),

2. To identify the soil/climate challenges and potential for small parcel agriculture, and

3. To make a preliminary assessment of the effects of climate change on this potential

for small parcel agriculture.

Methodology

Agricultural Land

Soil Capability Classes (for mostly

mechanized Ag.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

& Subclasses (limitations) stoniness, moisture holding capacity,

excess moisture etc….

Parameters: Class 1- 4: good for a range of crops Class 5: possible for some crops including grazing

A Class 5 level stoniness or topography

limitation may not be a significant

limitation to growing fruit trees or

grapes in areas which are climatically

suitable.

Land in crops

Crops • 2011 Agricultural Census:

Farm and farm operator data

• Total ‘Land in Crops’ • Field crops • Vegetables • Fruit, nut and berry

• Does no include small scale

backyard food production

Climate Change • Global Climate Model Scenarios (IPCC’s 5th Assessment Report) • 2050 • 3 scenarios

ALR

Regional District Areas (by consolidated Census area)

Limitations

• Identifying specific available farmland

• Assumption that land under production is in the

ALR • “Land in crops” excludes small scale (backyard)

Results

Total Land in the Study Area by Soil Capability Class (total 2,035,785 Ha)

11% of ALL land has some agricultural

capability (Class 1 – 5)

1 0.4%

[CATEGORY NAME]

[PERCENTAGE]

3 0.6%

4 2.6%

5 5.6%

6 37.6%

7 52.6%

Portion of land in the ALR (ALR: 65,737 Ha - 3.2% of study area)

Class 1 – 4 = 5% Class 5 = 6%

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

55,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Hec

tare

s

Soil Capability Class

Soil Capability

Portion that is ALR

1 11%

2 17% [CAT

EGORY NAM…

4 40%

5 10%

6 6%

[CATEGORY NAM…

ALR BY SOIL CAPABILITY

Primary Limitations for soils in the ALR 1. Moisture holding capacity: 35% 2. Topography: 22% 3. Excess water and stoniness: 11%

Land inventory and land use comparison

Land in crops and pasture equals only 32% of ALR. Land to feed 70,000 people/year based on 0.5 Ha per person, (BC

Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, 2006)

Distribution of Agricultural Land

Regional District Electoral

Area

Soil Class

1-3

Soil Class

4

Soil Class

5

ALR

Land in

crops

2011*

Seeded or

natural

pasture

2011

Land used

for

agriculture

as % of ALR

Central Kootenay A 124 1,667 7,471 492 68 150 44%

Central Kootenay B 5,763 5,826 4,879 7,375 4,560 558 69%

Central Kootenay C 9,235 2,021 3,416 12,110 4,352 3,506 65%

Central Kootenay D 5,205 3,450 12,849 7,295 177 82 4%

Central Kootenay E & F 271 2,722 5,650 1,124 299 78 34%

Central Kootenay G 1,139 2,505 7,552 2,431 189 693 36%

Central Kootenay H 329 7,751 10,936 4,427 325 932 28%

Central Kootenay J & I 750 2,411 14,044 1,852 112 464 31%

Central Kootenay K 9,559 18,348 32,318 22,804 959 1,924 13%

Kootenay Boundary B & A

0.0 6,178

11,556 4,667

277 725

21%

Kootenay Boundary C 267 636 2,492 1,156 ** ** **

Total 32,379 53,520 113,168 65,737 11,318 9,112 31%

RDCK area D. 4% of ALR used for agriculture .

RDCK Area G. 36% of ALR used for agriculture.

RDCK Area H. 28% of ALR used for agriculture.

• Warm area in the region • Class 4/5 Soils

Crops

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

Vegetables Fruit, Nut, Berry Field Crops

Ha

and

far

ms

rep

ort

ing

Hectares Farms Reporting

Land in crops by category (excluding pasture), 2011

Crops by Regional District Area

Total land in crops and pasture by Regional District Area, 2011

0500

100015002000250030003500400045005000

Ha

Land in Crops Land in Seeded or Natural Pasture

Land/soil • There is land (but it’s limited)! • Distribution is variable and in small pockets

limiting the region to small scale agriculture • Only 32% of ALR is under production • ALR protects the highest quality farmland • Water holding capacity is the main soil limitation

for lands in the ALR Climate, 2050

• Extend growing season • Expand the range of crops that can be grown

• This could increased the potential for Class 5 lands or ‘marginal lands’ for crops that like warm temperatures and marginal soils (ie: fruit/grapes/hops)

Conclusions

End of presentation. Additional slides for interest follow….

Full research paper available on RDI website: http://www.cbrdi.ca/wp-content/uploads/Assessing-the-potential-for-pocket-agriculture-in-mountainous-regions-A-case-study-in-West-Kootenay-Roussin-2015.pdf

Soil Capability Classes and Land in Crops by Regional District Area

K

D

B C

H

A & B (RDKB)

E & F

I & J A G

Crops by regional district area

Land in crops by category (excluding pasture), 2011

Vegetables

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Ha

and

far

ms

rep

ort

ing

Hectares Farms Reporting

Total mixed vegetable production in the study area, 2011

Climate Slides, 2050

Climate: Temperature Variables • + Frost Free Days • + Growing Degree Days • + Mean Warmest Month Temperature • + Climate moisture deficit

• Climate change will likely extend the growing season and expand the diversity of crops that can be grown.

• This may increase the agricultural capability of some areas including Class 5 soils.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Fro

st F

ree

Day

s

1961 - 1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Frost Free Period, 2050

Highest: Trail, Slocan Valley Medium: West Arm, Creston Lower: Salmo, Nakusp, Lardeau

Climate Model Scenario

-5.00

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

Tem

per

atu

re, 0

C

Season

1961 - 1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Winter Spring Summer Fall

Seasonal Mean Temperature for all areas in the climate study area, 2050

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Pre

cip

itat

ion

(m

m)

1961 - 1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Mean Annual Summer Precipitation (May – September), 2050

0.00

50.00

100.00

150.00

200.00

250.00

300.00

350.00

400.00

CM

D (

- m

m)

Season

1961 - 1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Spring Summer Fall

Climate Model Scenario

Seasonal Climate Moisture Deficit for all areas in the climate study area, 2050

0

100

200

300

400

500

CM

D (

- m

m)

1961 - 1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Annual Climate Moisture Deficit, 2050

Climate Model Scenario

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Tem

per

atu

re o

C

1961 -1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Climate Model Scenario

Mean Warmest Month Temperature (MWMT), 2050

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Deg

ree

Day

s A

bo

ve 5

oC

1961-1990

MRI

HadGem

GFDL

Climate Model Scenario

Growing Degree Days (GDD) above 50C, 2050

• Warm area in the region • Class 4/5 Soils

RDCK Area E. 34% of ALR used for agriculture.

RDCK Area B. 69% of ALR used for agriculture.