Adaptation underway as Morden, Man., area deals with extreme drought

Homeowners, farmers and businesses in and around the southern Manitoba town of Morden are working to adapt to extreme drought conditions brought on by intense heat and a lack of precipitation in recent months. 

And while it might be an eyebrow-raising sight to see watering still going on at the Minnewasta Golf and Country Club, the club says it's worked up a plan to funnel thousands of litres of town wastewater to the course, allowing it to keep watering tee boxes and greens and not Lake Minnewasta, where drinking water comes from. 

The lake's water level is "very concerning," the non-profit club's past president and current board member said in an interview with CBC on Friday. 

"We're not out here trying to steal water from our community drinking source," Kevin Pauls said. "We certainly don't want to give that impression."

The worry for the club is that by not keeping its putting greens in good shape, it sets the stage for them to wither and need replacing, a prospect that could be "financially catastrophic," said Pauls. The club is not watering fairways and will soon eliminate tee box watering, he said.

The town said in a news release this week the lake is nearly nine feet lower than full-supply level and is asking residents, commercial and industrial water users to reduce their consumption by at least 30 per cent. 

Homeowners Marlin Rempel and Gisela Ojeda said they've been much more careful about when and what gets watered — and how. Their yard features a large blue barrel to collect rain from eavestroughs and their lawn is patchy and brown because they avoid watering it. 

They've adapted by taking shorter showers and otherwise being mindful of their consumption. Ojeda, who keeps a plot at a nearby community garden, said it's been a struggle. 

"Everything is smaller and is more scorched," Ojeda said. "Everything is suffering."

Farmer Dennis Hoeppner of Oak Valley Vegetables told CBC he's lived in the Morden area for almost all his life and the current drought situation is "by far worse" than dry spells he saw in the 1980s. 

Creek runoff this season is non-existent. "I've never seen that happen before," he said. 

His pea crop has been written off this year, he said, along with half of his alfalfa. 

That said, Hoeppner believes he'll still produce full crops of carrots and potatoes. He's been using an irrigation technique that waters the vegetables underground, meaning there's little evaporation and the system is about 80 per cent more efficient than overhead irrigation. 

The retention pond he draws his water from is usually 10 feet higher and is down to about two to three feet of water left, he said. He invested in a sand filtration system this year because he suspected he'd be drawing from near the bottom of the pond. 

"The unpredictability is unsettling, but we have faith it's going to turn around," said Hoeppner. "We'll survive through this — it's going to be a tough year."