Understanding Irrigation Demand in Metro Vancouver

Managing water quantity and quality in the Metro Vancouver region is an ongoing challenge under seasonal periods of water stress, particularly in the agricultural sector, a primary water consumer. Poor or absent regulation and monitoring of groundwater and surface water use in agriculture severely limits the capacity to assess water reserves and consumption and strategically manage water resources. This creates uncertainty regarding future water availability and risk within the agricultural sector. Improving our understanding of irrigation demand for agricultural production is a crucial step toward strategically managing the water resources upon which the agricultural industry depends.

This investigation aims to address this concern by using the Agricultural Water Demand Model, as developed by the BC Ministry of Agriculture, for Metro Vancouver (AWDM) as a comparative assessment tool. The AWDM is used to investigate irrigation demand within Metro Vancouver’s Agricultural Land Reserve in order to inform policy makers with regards to water management.