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Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP)
Northeast Red Watershed District
Photo: Northeast Red Watershed District
Program Summary
The Northeast Red Watershed District delivers the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP) which provides cost-sharing and per-acre payments for the implementation of Beneficial Management Practices under three categories:
Cover Cropping, Rotational Grazing, and Nitrogen Management.
Program characteristics
Province
Manitoba
Natural Features
Wildlife Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian Areas
Agriculture Type
Cropland, Rangeland / Pasture
Program Scope
Regional/Local
Conservation Approach
Restoration, Beneficial Practices
Incentive Type
Payment for Practices / Conservation / Credits, Cost-sharing / Discounts, Technical Advice
Delivery Agent Type
NGO
Commitment Type
Management Agreement, Infrastructure Installation, Restoration / Re-seeding / Conversion
Commitment Term
Short Term (1 to 10 years)
Program web site
Conservation Goals
The PWCP program aims to accelerate the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing farm productivity, sustainability, and resilience.
Eligible Lands
Eligible landscapes include croplands, rangelands, or pasturelands in the Northeast Red region.
Additional Details
Interested landowners can download applications from the Northeast Red Watershed District website: https://www.northeastred.ca/programs/pwcp
More detail on what each program entails can be found on the application forms.
Producers are eligible for a maximum of $75,000 of OFCAF funding, though all available OFCAF programs including PWCP.
Any project funded through PWCP cannot be funded by another OFCAF program.
Commitment
To receive Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP) funding, landowners must commit to any of the following Beneficial Management Practices:
Cover Cropping
Seeding cover crops
Agronomic support for seeding cover crops
Nitrogen Management
Upgrade equipment to allow for fertilizer banding, side dressing, and injection
Split fertilizer application to improve efficiency of use
Polymer-coated urea use
Nitrification and urease inhibitor use
Utilizing legumes in crop rotations
Upgrading manure injection and incorporation equipment (spreaders not eligible)
Incorporating manure into soil to reduce volatilization
Rotational Grazing
Cross fencing
Wildlife friendly fencing
Temporary fencing
Stationary water systems developments
Mobile water systems
Improving pasture composition
Agronomic support for completion of rotational grazing plan
Incentive
The Northeast Red Watershed Region provides the following incentives for eligible BMPs. Each eligible practice has specific requirements and limitations, which can be found on the Whitemud Watershed Region website.
Rotational Grazing:
Fencing to support rotational grazing: 85% of costs up to $18,000/quarter (up to $75,000)
Watering system to support rotational grazing: 85% of costs up to $18,000/quarter (up to $75,000)
Improving pasture compositions by seeing legumes: $35/acre (up to $75,000)
Agronomic support for completion of rotational grazing plan: 50% of costs (up to $400)
Nitrogen Management:
Use of polymer coated urea (PCU) fertilizer: 85% of the increased cost of PCU fertilizer compared to regular nitrogen fertilizer (up to $7,000)
Use of combined nitrification and urease inhibitors, or use of dual inhibitors: 85% of the cost (up to $7,000)
Agronomic support for nitrogen management plans: 50% of total cost (up to $10,000)
Soil testing: 85% of cost (up to $2,500)
Soil mapping: 50% of cost (up to $10,000)
Adding legumes to crop rotation: up to $35/acre for seeds and seeing cost (up to $7,000)
Upgrading seeder equipment to allow for banding, side dressing, and injection of fertilizer: up to $200/foot of seeding equipment or 50% of purchase price (whatever is lesser), (up to $15,000)
Split application of fertilizer to improve nitrogen use: 85% of total cost of a second pass of fertilization (up to $7,000)
Upgrading manure injection and incorporation equipment: to be determined by PWCP delivery agent (up to $20,000)
Offsetting the higher cost of synthetic fertilizer substitutes (manure, compost, digestates): 85% of the increased cost of the fertilizer substitute (up to $7,000)
Cover Cropping:
Cover crops underseeded with the main crop (intercropping): $35/acre (up to $75,000)
Full-season annual and/or perennial cover crops in rotation: $35/acre (up to $75,000)
Contact Information
For more information for the Inter-Mountain Watershed District Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP), contact 204-777-2223 or email info@northeastred.ca
Application forms and further information can be found here: https://www.northeastred.ca/programs/pwcp
Important to Know
The Prairie Watershed Climate Program (PWCP) is funded through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. OFCAF is a $200 million, 3-year fund (from 2021 to 2024) which funds 12 programs (including PWCP).
The PWCP is led by the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW) and delivered locally by Manitoba’s Watershed Districts and the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW).
Information can change from year to year – check the web site for the most accurate information.