Sustainable Agriculture and Water Use for Prince Edward Island

世界面临着将有限的水资源转用于农业和城市用途与保持水生生态系统完整性之间的艰难选择。灌溉对于加拿大农业的经济繁荣至关重要，我们不断发展的城市需要越来越多的淡水。然而，我们的河流中的水的数量，质量和时间也必须保持以维持水生生态系统。这项研究将探讨地下水的使用，健康的河流维护和环境水管理，以及社会对这些问题的分歧。研究将全面考察从七个爱德华王子岛（PEI）流域抽取地下水用于农业灌溉和城市供水的情况。研究将评估在气候变化中抽取地下水对河流流量和生命的潜在影响，以及灌溉的可能好处，包括通过更好的养分管理减少化肥使用，通过增加有机质促进土壤健康，减少土壤中的温室气体排放，and increased增加economic经济prosperity繁荣.将观察对土壤、地下水、河流以及河流鱼类和无脊椎动物的影响。这项工作将在爱德华王子岛新的《水法》的背景下进行，评估科学、监管和社会价值如何协同增效，以改善知识型治理。这些成果将给加拿大人带来许多好处，包括改进方法来了解考虑气候变化的溪流流量，生物测试溪流流量法规是否有效的方法，包括补充灌溉的先进土壤养分管理策略，增加土壤有机质以减少水需求的更好方法，以及将更广泛的思想纳入区域环境管理，包括包容性参与和参与。总之，这些结果将提供关键信息，帮助加拿大走向水的可持续性。

The world faces difficult choices between diverting finite water resources for agricultural and municipal useand maintaining the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. Irrigation is essential for the economic prosperity ofCanada's agricultural industry, and our growing cities require increasing quantities of fresh water. However, thequantity, quality, and timing of the water in our rivers must also be maintained to sustain aquatic ecosystems.This research will explore groundwater use, healthy stream maintenance, and environmental watermanagement, as well as societal division on these issues. Studies will examine full-scale groundwaterextraction from seven Prince Edward Island (PEI) watersheds for agricultural irrigation and city water supplies.The study will evaluate potential impacts of water extraction on stream flow and life in a changing climate, aswell as possible benefits of irrigation, including reduced fertilizer use though better nutrient management,healthier soil mediated by increased organic matter, reduced greenhouse gas emissions from soil, and increasedeconomic prosperity. Effects on the soil, groundwater, streams, and stream-dwelling fish and invertebrates willbe observed. Set within the context of PEI's new Water Act, this work will evaluate how science, regulation,and social values can be synergized to enable improved knowledge-informed governance. The outcomes willhave many benefits to Canadians, including improved methods to understand stream flow that consider climatechange, ways to biologically test whether stream flow regulations are working, advanced soil nutrientmanagement strategies involving supplemental irrigation, better ways to increase soil organic matter to reducewater needs, and the incorporation of broader thinking into regional environmental management, includinginclusive participation and engagement. Together, these outcomes will provide crucial information that willhelp Canada move toward water sustainability.