Better Farming - August 2016

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DRAINAGE DIRECTORY
58 Promotional Supplement DRAINAGE DIRECTORY August 2016
Continued from page 57
right place) , better soil health to retain the phosphorus,
or limiting its transportation off farmland, for example by
capturing and/or recycling it.
CONTROLLING THE TRANSPORTATION OF
PHOSPHORUS OFF FARMLAND
- PART OF THE SOLUTION
The OFA and Cities Initiatives joined forces to find at
least a partial solution to the complex challenge of limit-
ing phosphorus loss from farmland.
Beginning in January 2016, the two organizations em-
barked on an intensive strategy development process,
in collaboration with key agricultural and agribusiness
organizations, municipalities, drainage professionals,
conservation authorities, First Nations, and NGOs.
The outcome, adopted by the boards of the OFA and
the Cities Initiative this past June is a sophisticated
5-year, $7.5 million effort aimed at reducing the surface
and subsurface transportation of phosphorus off agricul-
tural land either directly into waterways, or via municipal
drainage systems.
Under the strategy, a team of sustainable drainage co-
ordinators will work with farmers and municipal drainage
staff and other drainage professionals, to offer exten-
sion services, advice and financial incentives to improve
water management and drainage, aimed at two scales:
1. at the farm level, projects to slow down and/or store
water on farmland; and
2. at the communal drainage system level, to store/
remove/recycle phosphorus in drainage system or at
outlets.
Results will be closely monitored, recorded and shared
broadly to increase learning in the drainage and agri-
cultural sectors and among researchers and regulatory
agencies.
It was made clear by advisor y committee during the
strategy development that this initiative had to be
integrated with other initiatives designed to reduce
phosphorus, like 4Rs certification, that will begin roll
out on a pilot basis as early as the Fall of 2016. A com-
mitment has been made to coordinate communications
so that farmers and landowners receive one consistent
message about phosphorus reduction and the means
to achieve it.
The program will begin in the Fall of 2017, in two to
three watersheds in the Upper and Lower Thames River
basins. As take-up by farmers and drainage profession-
als increases, the geographic scope of the initiative will
gradually be expanded throughout the Thames River
basin area.
There is much preparatory work to be completed
before the 2017 launch, including fundraising, outreach
to local groups and individuals, hiring staff, promoting
the program, among other activities. One of the most
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