About the BVWI Project Details Project Benefits News FAQ Links Contact Project Benefits Economic Benefits of Boyne Valley Water Initiative The Boyne Valley Water Initiative would create a water body of 24,300 acre feet. Annually half of this amount would be available for the water needs of rural southern Manitoba. In severe drought conditions, the entire amount could be available. 1. Irrigation – An additional 15,000 acres of land suitable to specialty crops in the region would be put into production. This would add to the existing 75,000 irrigated acres in Manitoba. All other conditions in the area are ideal for specialty crops and local producers have demonstrated interest in diversification. Irrigated acres equal 10 times the farm-gate value of dry-land agriculture. The irrigation uptake from the reservoir would be between 5500 and 8800 acre-feet. 2. Municipal Water Supply – The Boyne Valley Water Initiative would have a minimum of 2500 acre-feet of water available for potable water. At the rate of 300 litres per person per day, the reservoir would meet the needs of 5,000 to 30,000 residents. At a wholesale rate f $1150/acre-foot, the value of this water is 2,875,000. The resale rate of $1760 per acre foot would value this water at $4,400,000 per ear. Once again, in drought times, this could e doubled or more. Pembina Valley Water Coop is committed to building a water treatment plant at the reservoir site and would disperse potable water through existing and future pipelines. 3. Drought proofing and climate change – “Adequate water supplies are important to the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of Manitoba. Droughts can occur at any time on either a local or regional basis. A severe drought extending over months or years would impact residents, businesses, wildlife and the environment. The challenge of drought management is compounded by increased demand for use of a limited water supply and predictions regarding climate change.” This quote is directly from Manitoba Stewardship’s website under “Water Availability and Drought Conditions”. The water in the Boyne River Basin is presently fully allocated. What is the strategy for a moderate to severe drought? In the July 6th edition of Maclean’s Magazine, David Schindler, one of Canada’s top water scientists, predicts “a likely mid-century return to ‘30s-era, “dustbowl” conditions – yes, even in Manitoba, land of 100,000 lakes – noting a 30 to 85 per cent reduction in summer river flows in the previous 30 years.” The proposed reservoir would supply water in a drought situation for tens of thousands of rural Manitobans. 4. Flood Control – The flood control benefits between the The Boyne Valley Water Initiative and Stephenfield Lake would save municipalities hundreds of thousands of dollars. 5. Recreation – With a shoreline of 18 miles and an average depth of 23.5 ft., the development of a recreation area within one hour of Winnipeg would be created. 6. Benefit to Cost ratio – The 2002 study indicated that based on taxation revenues from irrigation alone, the benefit to cost ratio of the dam and diversion project is 5.6:1 for Canada and 3.3:1 for Manitoba. Although project costs have increased in the last 5 years, the anticipated benefits have also increased and the overall net change is not sufficient to adversely alter the major findings and conclusions of the 2002 report. The 2008 and 2009 project cost updates do not result in a profound change in these values. None of the other benefits cited here were included in this benefit to cost ratio. Therefore, the economic benefits of the The Boyne Valley Water Initiative would exceed those figures mentioned above.

Boyne Valley Water Initiative Box 344, 180 Broadway St., Treherne, Manitoba, Canada R0G 2V0 phone: (204)723-2774 Fax: (204)723-2719 XXXX@boynevalleywater.com