Agricultural and Water in Canada – Challenges and Reform for the 21 C

Abstract

Agriculture is the dominant water use in Canada and the main contributor to non-point source pollution in agricultural watersheds contributing to toxic algal blooms in some of Canada’s and the world’s largest freshwater lakes. Water governance in Canada is fragmented, with water resources managed separately from land uses that contribute to water challenges. The performance of agri-environmental policies encouraging the adoption of beneficial management practices is also mixed. Efficient and effective farm level water management strategies will increase in importance over the next century as climate change and increasing demands for food put pressure on water quality and quantity. This chapter examines farm level decisions that affect water quality and quantity, and the factors that contribute to adoptability of beneficial practices. Decentralized and fragmented governance contributes to weak institutions for integrating water and agricultural land management resulting in poor monitoring and governance gaps at scales required to manage nutrient loads into major freshwater lakes as well emerging threats from unregulated pollutants. The potential for water quality trading to address risks from non-point source pollution is examined, along with opportunities for reform in Canada.