New Factsheet on Riparian Area Management for Cropping Systems Released

 
  From the Sept 16, 2003 Issue of Alberta Conservation Connection
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In partnership with the AESA (Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture) Program, the Cows and Fish Program has released a new factsheet for producers on riparian area management for croplands. This factsheet Crops, Creeks and Sloughs, provides information on the importance of riparian areas in cropland, their management and ideas for maximizing the benefits.

"The factsheet helps producers recognize the value of their wetlands and creeks in their cropping systems in terms of moisture retention and other benefits," explains Norine Ambrose, Program Manager for Cows and Fish Program. "It also explains the flip side by helping producers recognize how their management of cropping systems, whether annual or perennial crops, impacts the waterbodies they are next to as well."

The factsheet includes basic ideas or tips for management strategies that will help producers have sustainable cropland at the same time as maintaining or improving the riparian areas. "By maintaining or improving the health and functioning of the riparian edges, they can do their job of filtering and buffering and improving water quality," says Ambrose.

For example, producers can improve filtering of run-off and increase the chances of getting a crop off by leaving more vegetation intact or planting a buffer next to the water body instead of cropping right up to the edge. Selecting perennial forages instead of annuals in areas where there is flooding. "Perennial forages have a greater ability than annuals to reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients reaching the waterbody and keeping them on the land," says Ambrose.

There are many other simple management strategies that producers can use to benefit both their cropping systems and riparian areas. "Producers are often doing these things all the time, but not always with that reason in mind," says Ambrose. "The factsheet gives them ideas on why the various strategies might be useful, both for them and for the riparian areas and the waterbody they are attached to." There is growing recognition of the importance and benefit of health, functioning riparian areas along all waterbodies.

The development of the factsheet included a literature review of related information on riparian areas and cropping related issues. "We were interested in why it was important, not just from a scientific overview, but more of a compilation of general principles and extension information," notes Ambrose. The factsheet includes the general principles and information about riparian areas, buffers, cropping practices and strategies to help riparian areas do their job. There are also links to other related agencies, publications and resources.

The factsheet is available on-line at www.cowsandfish.org or can be ordered directly by contacting Cows and Fish at riparian@telusplanet.net.

For more information, contact:
Norine Ambrose		  
 
 
 
For more information about the content of this document, contact Roger Bryan.
This document is maintained by Deb Sutton.
This information published to the web on September 16, 2003.
Last Reviewed/Revised on March 10, 2009.