'A really big water quality problem for livestock': U of R research team studying ways to remove sulfate from dugouts
A team of University of Regina researchers are studying sulfate concentrations in agricultural dugouts and ponds, in order to find the best ways to remove it.
Kerri Finlay, an associate professor in biology at the University of Regina, is leading the project.
“Sulfate is a really big water quality problem for livestock in the province of Saskatchewan,” said Finlay. “Several years ago, we did a survey of over 100 dugouts in Southern Saskatchewan, and of them, we found about 20 per cent of them had sulfate levels that were higher than what was recommended for cattle.”
Finlay pointed to an incident in July of 2017, when high sulfate levels in water was one of the main causes of death for 200 cattle.
“We don’t entirely know why the sulfate levels are so high in some areas and not others,” said Finlay. “If we can identify what’s causing the sulfate levels, then maybe we can find ways to mitigate that and improve water quality for cattle.”
The four-year project will look at 30 different water sites, and study both the landscapes and the water itself. The team will collect data in the first year, and then look at mitigation options starting in the second year.
“We’re going to pick 10 of the dugouts where we’re going to dredge them out. This is known as dugout cleaning. So, dig out the bottom, let them fill up again and see if that helps,” said Finlay.
Another 10 of the dugouts will have plants put in and around them, to see if that improves the water quality. The final 10 dugouts will be left alone to be used as controls.
“So that we can compare whether these different activities that we’re trying, whether these experiments are actually making a difference on the ones that we’ve added to,” said Finlay.
Two graduate students and several undergraduate students are also part of the project. Graduate student Zohra Zahir is looking at the microbial aspects of the water, while graduate student Micheal Mensah is analyzing the data on the landscapes surrounding the bodies of water.
“Hopefully, by the time we are done with this project, the high levels of sulfates in dugouts — which keeps affecting production in cattle — will be a thing of the past,” Mensah said.
The Agricultural Development Fund awarded the project $279,125 in funding. The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association provided some funding as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.