'Pink' isn't necessarily pigs

Friday, April 3, 2009

Toronto-based consultants Earthfx Inc., writing a report on Source Water Protection, had some interesting ideas on how to estimate the number of livestock in the watershed of the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, known as the CLOCA.

The consultants, according to a "tier one" draft report, dated January, tried to count the number of livestock in the area by "cross-checking" more than 300 known farm wells with high-resolution aerial photos.

"The scale and type of operation might also be estimated from the photos. Pigs versus cattle operations can be distinguished based on the characteristic "pink" color (sic) of the animals," they say.

"I have that paragraph flagged," says Susan Self, chair of the CTC Source Protection Committee, spanning three conservation authorities from Erin in the west to Clarington in the east.

Lynne Moore of Caledon, one of two agricultural representatives on the committee of 21, expects that paragraph to be removed. "You know what I told them? It's more likely to be a nudist colony because we keep pigs inside.

They said 'pardon me?'"

Self says agriculture has two representatives because it is a top priority of the committee. Among members representing the public at large, she says there is both an environmental lawyer and a representative of the Sierra Club.

"Tier one" is a screening process,

Self says. Residents and businesses in the CLOCA area get their water from the lake, but according to technical guidelines released in December by the Ministry of the Environment, all water sources are to be measured.

"I've had some fear that (water quantity measurement) was on its way," says Chris Attema, an environmental advisor to provincial livestock groups. "Compared to some of the other issues, water quantity has been a low priority for us."

Sounds like that might change. BF