the salmon river watershed - Learning Centre

which may arise from an ongoing demand for residential development in rural areas. These
include:
• pressure to remove land from the agricultural resource base, including lands within the
Agricultural Land Reserve as well as surrounding grazing areas;
• increase in density and change in land use patterns may detract from the rural character of
the area;
• land use conflicts between agricultural uses and residential uses;
• land use conflicts between residential uses and wildlife and water resources; and
• continued pressure on facilities and services within the District of Salmon Arm.
New legislation passed in 1995 (Farm Practices Protection [Right to Farm] Act) should be of
assistance in reducing some of the rural/urban conflicts with respect to acceptable agricultural
practice.
2.2.2 Agriculture
Land Use and Diversity
Dairying, ranching and forage crop production have historically been and remain the major
agriculture commodities within the watershed. However, in addition, a wide range of new
commodities are also being produced. There are currently greater than 30 different agricultural
uses and commodities being produced in the watershed. Approximately 6% of the watershed
is in cultivated agriculture. The wide ranging diversity of agriculture use is summarized in
observed watershed uses as of July 1995 (Figure 2) and Census of Agriculture (Farm
Classified By Product Type - Table 5)
The following are agriculture trends in the watershed from Census Canada 1981 - 1991. Table
6 outlines the 1981 and 1991 Census of Agriculture Agricultural Use Characteristics within the
watershed.
• There were 325 farms which occupied an area of 78,753 acres in 1981 and 317 farms
which occupied an area of 80,040 acres in 1991
• Cultivated acreage (crops plus improved pasture) is reported to have occupied 30,916
acres in 1981 and 25,359 acres in 1991
• Irrigated acreage is reported to have dropped from 11,271 acres in 1981 to 9,151 acres in
1991 (Table 6) (We are skeptical about the 1991 figure based on our rapid air photo
interpretation of irrigated acreage in the watershed)
• Livestock enterprises dominate the agricultural use picture with 58% of farms in 1991,
although this is a significant reduction from 74.5% of farms in 1981
• From a commodity perspective, land use for dairying has increased from 1981 to 1991,
while beef has dropped dramatically. Hog and poultry enterprises have also declined in
numbers. Field crop, tree fruit, vegetable and livestock combination uses remained
relatively consistent between the two census years.
• Speciality enterprises have increased from 9.8% to 26.5% from 1981 to 1991
26