Jan Ravensbergen in the New Brunswick Business Journal: What lay behind this spring's ferocious flooding along Quebec's Richelieu River seems simple enough to pin down: Blame the highest water levels in recorded history for Lake Champlain, which feeds into the river.Much harder to gauge, however, are answers to a more far-reaching question: How will more frequent bouts of extreme weather - phenomena scientists acknowledge are increasing in frequency - hurt agriculture and possibly our food chain? And what can farmers do to adapt to the changing growing conditions?
For 37 days in a row, beginning April 29, Lake Champlain levels exceeded the previous maximum recorded May 4, 1869, according to the United States Geological Survey. On May 6, the lake peaked at 31.5 metres above sea level, almost one metre above its flood stage, the point at which water overflow begins to cause damage.
...The waters have largely receded - but not their effects on more than 100 farms along the river. "Usually, by now, my corn would be at knee level," said farmer Marie-Josee Guay, waving her arm toward one of her best fields. "Now, it's only at my ankles. It's very discouraging," the 40-year-old said. "Last year, we had 85 per cent of our seeding done by June 1. This year, none (by that date)."
...Flooding in Manitoba has so far caused $1 billion in agricultural losses, officials say, with 1.2 million hectares soaked. Saskatchewan and North Dakota are still tallying the latest devastation, while damage along the Mississippi, from Illinois to Louisiana could reach $2 billion US.
The Richelieu region is especially vulnerable to the effects of flooding because the soils through which the river courses are generally both poorly drained and "very, very flat" - but no one anticipated the severity and duration of this spring's flood, said Chandra Madramootoo, dean of McGill University's faculty of agricultural and environmental sciences....
NASA image of the Richelieu River flooding, May 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment