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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-02-25, Page 27Seminar at Rec Centre well attended Discuss factors affecting rural If you had a question concerning rural water quality you should have attended the Ausable Bayfield Con- servation Authority's Rural Water Quality Information Day Friday. Judging from the 150 people who at- tended the one -day seminar held in the South Huron Rec Centre. there are many people who consider. the - quality of rural water a priority issue. Experts in the field of water quali- ty covered not only the negative im- pacts of manure on water quality but also manure handling techniques which will prevent future en- vironmental degradation. Ron Quipp, from the Ministry of the Environment, Investigations and En- forcement Branch, said that the public's concern for water quality is illustrated by the number of requests for investigations that they receive. Qeipp stressed that MOE staff does - not drive the back roads looking for agricultural pollution. It is the neighbours and downstream water users who initiate the investigation by complaints. Within the last few years the number of agricultural prosecu- tions have risen dramatically. In 1986 1 --3 there were 50 agricultural prosecu- tions- in the Southwestern Region. There is increasing public pressure for prosecution of agricultural viola- tions. as -well MOE is better equipped to handle investigations and prosecu- tions. MOE now has environmental officers on call 24 hours a day.7 days a week across Ontario. There is also an increased pro- bability of charges resulting from higher intensity farming and the in- creasing use of irrigation equipment. Quipp urged farmers who use liquid manure irrigation equipment tc, en- sure that it is applied at the proper rates and on good soil conditions. It is every farmers responsibility to watch the tile outlets for signs of manure, when spreading liquid manure. 11 runoff does occur steps should he taken to keep it from enter- ing a watercourse and MOE should be called. Irnmediate reporting of water quality impairment necessary for an effective investigation of the problem. Garry Palmateer. a microbiologist from MOE .provided the audience with a description on the sources of bacterial contamination on the farm. The sources of entry of bacteria to the water system are numerous. Palmateer pointed to solid manure pile runoff, cattle access to streams, leaky liquid manure storages, bar- nyard tiles, the disposal of milkhouse water, field spread manure and faul- ty septic tanks. In discussing the spreading of manure Palmateer stated that 80 per- cent of the nutrients in solid manure can be lost if unincorporated manure is subjected to a heavy rain within 24 hours of being spread. The nutrients and bacteria can be lost through runoff or access to drainage tiles. Palmateer also discussed some of the access to drainage tiles. Palmateer also discribed some of the characteristics of indicator bacteria such as fecal streptococci, Escheruhia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The reduction •of bacterial contamination was stressed due to the implications on human and livestock health. , In order to prove impairment to the water due to a manure spill, Stewart Thornley, MOE biologist, often .ap- pears in court as an ex rt witness. dt. TALKING ABOUT QUALITY WATER - At Friday's Rural Water Quality Informatioh Day ests spec kers Stewart Thornley, Ron Quipp and Ron'Fleming check the program with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority chairman Gordon Johnston. - T -A photo H -P SS board studies offer of video identification program The Huron -Perth County Roman . Catholic Separate School Board will study an offer made by - Legion members Robert Chapman and -Howard Carroll, both of Goderich. to carry out a child video identification program for the Catholic school children in Huron County. • Chapman, leadership chairman of District ('.Royal Canadian Legion. told the trustees that the Legion is of- fering to go to the nine elementary .separate schools in Huron County to make a -short video tape of each child in kindergarten to grade 6. Along with the photos of each child. Lucan Revival Centre The Women's Ministries held their monthly meeting Wednesday evening in Graham Chapel of the church. Vice president Mrs. June Henry conducted the meeting. After the business ses- sion, the ladies moved into the sanc- tuary for a time of worship and prayer. Rev. Roger Mason ministered communion, breaking the bread and serving each lady. After the meeting a light lunch was served. Doug Butler was the song leader Sunday morning. Rev. Roger Mason spoke from Matthew 5:23724. The most serious cause of disharmony in the homo is a closed spirit. The spirit is the innermost pari of a person that responds to God and also the part that -—.ssJalc;;.l4�lher people. When a person ss plrifiKlUrtTtw _._ .ttC11 we are in heaven God will not see any denominations aswe worship ---- Him. Rev..Shaule said Matthew 4:23-25 talks about Jesus healing all our sicknesses. Teaching on the Kingdon of God was .lesus' gospel. Matthew. 9:35 repeats .lesus healing and teaching about the gospel of the Kingdom of God. This kingdom dealt with power and authority. In March 3:27 we read Jesus came to bind salmi. As Jesus announces bfis Kingdom He was in authority over the ICinffdom of satan and evil. But Jesus exhorts us to wage war against the evil about us as we witness to' the Kingdom of God. tenderness. with a genuine caring way. II lakes lime to repair.a closed spirit. Increase understanding as Pro- verbs 11:12 suggests.. Rev. Roger Mason conducted the Sunday evening service. During the singing of '"These are the Friends" worshippers went around greeting each other. Doug Bulier read 1 Chronicles 16:8. where King David gave thanks to the Lord. before he -an(1 Martha Butler sang "Be The Strength of My Life". Rev. Mason introduced Rev. Dar- rell Shaule. pastor of Lucan United Church. as guest speaker. Rev. Shaule gave thanks for brothers and sisters in the Lord who have welcom- ed hint in Lucan. Rev. Shaule said closes his spirit to the one that hurt him. The Bible says here we are to (10 all we can to restore that relationship. A believer should never close htllowship with another believer. • A closed spirit will cause a child to argue and resist his parents and will cause a marriage partner or a friend to shut out the other person. Unless the cause is dealt with lovingly. in reconciliation, the relationship can be broken. In the average home, even Christian ones, offenses can come. Unless these offenses are resolved. the home life is more strained. To start to restore the relationship. approach the offended person in there will be voice identification by having the child answer questions verbally, the heighth noted and all repeated every three years. Chapman said if the board decides to go for the program, it will be necessary to get parental consent: lie noted the tapes should be stored safe- ly at the board office or with the prin- cipals in the schools. William Eckert, Director of Educa- tion, reported that to date 101 students are registered for the newgrade nine class to start at St. Michael School in Stratford next September. He said there will be 85 from Perth County, 11 from Huron County, four from Oxford County and one from Middlesex County. - On February 10 a letter went out to the parents ,of students at St. Patrick's School, Dublin and St. Col- umban School advising them that re- organization of the two schools con- tinues with St. Columbanbeing made a Primary School for kindergarten to grade three students and Dublin will be a junior -intermediate school with one classroom turned into a library resource centre, and a teacher librarian added to the staff. It is expected St. Columban will have about 125 students ( now 67► and St. Patrick's in Dublin will have about 125 (currently 169) and each will have --between-six,and.seven.teacher-s._ To meet its additional staffing re- quirements. next year at St. Michael Secondary School in Stratford the Huron-Rerth Catholic School Board is inviting voluntary teacher transfer applications from secondary school teachers presently employed by the Perth County Board of Education who have the potential of being declared redundant. Appreciation is expressed to the Perth County Board for their assistance in this matter. It is expected that teachers will be required who are qualified in English, French, Science, Business Studies, Religion, Mathematics, History. B' TITLE TO RAIDERS The 'B' title of Saturday's snopitch tournament was won by Scott's Raiders. Bock, left, Rose Miller, Nancy Miller, Barb Near, Valerie Stephen, Tammy McLean, Joanne Miller, Cathy DeRiock and Steve Hart. Front, Dennis Near, Jim Siddall, Rick Miller, Kevin Oke, Gary Near andAr photo Miller. Using slides Thornley walked the au- dience through a court presentation. In order to prove impairment the water quality downstream of the spill must be worse than the quality upstream. This is proven in court be certificates of analysis for bacterial and chemical parameters. Manure spills have long term as well as immediate effects on an aquatic ecosystem. The immediate effect is the killing of fish and aquatic invertebrates, since the ammonia is toxic to fish and manure has a high biological oxygen demand (BOD) which deprives the water of -oxygen. The solids can also clog gills and smother bottom dwelling life. In the. long-term the bacteria in the sediments will remain' for long periods. Plant and algae growth will also be stimulated. Areas with con- tinuous manure inputs are affected in a similar manner. Ron Fleming an agricultural engineer with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, provided the audience with information on the On- tario Soil Conservation and En- vironmental Protection Program (OSCEPAP). Under this program farmers making improvements to their manuare storage facilities are able to apply for a 40 percent grant - payable for up to $7,500 of the total cost. The same grant applies to milkhouse wash water treatment facilities. Farmers in the Ausable watershed are eligible for an addi- tional enhancement supplied by MOE. This means qualified farmers are eligible for a 40 percent grant payable for up to $12,500 of the total cost. The Ontario Rural Beaches Strategy program was introduced by ABCA general manager Tom Prout. Doug Hocking presented a summary of the 1986 ABCA Beaches Strategy Program. The objective of the Des- jardine Drain study was to effect remedial measures on selected upstream farms in order to measure -reductions in bacterial indica ors tri the receiving water. Hocking il- lustrated his presentation with slides of the farms before and after construction. The three farms worked in 1986 re- quired improvements to contain runoff as well as other remedial measures. Hocking stressed that although the farms contributed only 10 percent of the costs they had incur- red additional costs such as main- tance and liquid disposal. A long term. water quality monitoring program should record substantial im- provements over the next few years. OMAF has also initiated a long term water quality monitoring program in a number of subsurface drains in the Parkhill Creek watershed. Luc Buinet explained that the ob- jective of the program is to explain what farming practices affect water quality. The study has enlisted the cooperation of 20 farmers in the watershed in order to detail their far- ming practices. The information gathered from the farmer is combin- ed with water quality data on the tile drains on his farm. This is to deter- mine the effects the farming prac- tices are having on water quality. The preliminary results that livestock farms have fecal coliform results at least one order of magnitude greater than non livestock farms. - Many farmers believe that what runs away from their manure storage is "just water". Not so according to Ron Fleming. Manure storage runoff contains bacteria, nutrients and solids. Liquid dairy manure has an average BOD of 23,000 parts per million (PPM) and runoff from a No connection with OPP OPP Commissioner- Archie Ferguson wishes the public to be ad- vised that the Ontario Provincial Police have no connection with the Provincial Police News Children's Safety Magazine. No one with this publication is directly.4w.indirectly. employed by. the Ontario Provincial Police. The OPP Community Services Branch has received inquiries from the public regarding the Force's in- volvement with this publication. ' The Ontario Provincial Police does not endorse or directly provide infor- mation or material to this publication. Hensall P.S. news Ori February 5 we had our Valen- tine Activity Day. We had fun. I had Melissa M., Kim T., Jeff P., Scott R., Scott W. We went to Mrs. Preszcafor, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Strong, Mrs. Horner. Miss Bell's group was the best, especially the Philadelphia cream cheese. By Kari Taylor Hensall Public School Grade 3 On February 5 we had an activity day from grade kindergarten to grade three. %'e made a sandwich in Miss Bell's activity in the library and we made a Valentine, heart to put your Valentines in. Then we came to Mrs. Horner's class and made crafts. After that we went to the gym and played games and then we went to Mrs. Strang's room and ,.made "I love" books. Next we had another two more sur- prises: The second surprise was Mrs. Genttner who came and played some songs for us. After that we watched a film called, Powee in Valentine Land. " By Stephen Bell Hensall Public School Grade 3 Times -Advocate, February 25, 1987 water quality manure storage can be as high as 12,000 ppm. Fleming explained the sources of runoff as well as sugges- tions to contain it. Mike Malhiot, District Biologist for the Ministry of Natural Resources, Wingham District, discussed the ef- fects of agriculture on the Fisheries Resources. Using slides Malhiot outlined the value of fisheries in this are and the features of a stream re- quired to provide fish habitat. There are many agricultural practices besides poor manure management and livestock access to streams that affect fish habitat. Drainage can lower summer flows, eliminate instream habitat, cause erosion and warm the water. Cropp- ing too close to the water% edge can - remove •cover and cause erosion. Malhoit provided some alternatives which can minimize the impact on habitat. These include buffer strips for livestock and cropping, stable stream crossings and proper drain construction and maintance. Jack MacKinnon from the Huron County Health Unit stressed that. rural residents should be concerned about then drinking water. It should be tested at least once a season. He discussed the sampling procedure, in- terpretation of results and the treat- ment of impaired water. Above all else MacKinnon emphasized "not to Page 15A take your water for granted." Dr. W.A. Schilthuis from the Goderich Veterinary Clinic stressed . the importance of good water quali- ty in attaining good herd health. Just as in humans, livestock become what they eat and drink. His first step in developing a herd health program is to have the bcterial and chemical composition of the water analyzed. . Bacteria, Viruses. sulfates, nitrates and toxic substances can all affect livestock health. Dr. Schilthuis stress- ed that all water should be suspected of contamination unless proven otherwise. The speakers all evoked lively discussion. Tracey Ryan. of the AB - CA, coordinated the Information Day and was pleased with the turn out. She felt that much valuable information was disseminated and that the day wasa valuable step towards educating. the public about the importance of water quality for everyone and. _ ultimately improving the quality of water in the Ausable and Bayfield watersheds. Over 80 club Kart r Pedersen will be 9U years old on Ma ch 2. 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