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Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP)
West Interlake Watershed District
Photo: West Interlake Watershed District
Program Summary
The West Interlake 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 West Interlake region.
Additional Details
Interested landowners can download applications from the West Interlake Watershed District web site: https://wiwd.ca/page.php?id=13
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, through all available OFCAF programs including PWCP.
Any project funded through PWCP cannot be funded by any other OFCAF program. Landlords and tenants both cannot apply for funding on the same piece of land. BMPs must be a new practice or an expansion of an existing practice onto new acres.
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 West Interlake Watershed District provides the following incentives for eligible BMPs. Each eligible practice has specific requirements and limitations, which can be found on the West Interlake Watershed District web site.
Rotational Grazing
Crossfencing to Support Rotational Grazing, and/or Watering System to Support Rotational Grazing: 85% of costs up to $18,000/qtr (max $75,000)
Improving Pasture Compositions by Seeding Legumes: $35/acre (up to $75,000)
Agronomic Support for Completion of a Rotational Grazing Plan: 50% (up to $400)
Cover Cropping / Intercropping / Polycropping
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)
Nitrogen Management
Use of Polymer Coated Urea (PCU)'s, such as ESN: 85% increased cost of PCU fertilizer compared to regular nitrogen (up to $30,000)
Dual N & Urease Inhibitors: 85% of inhibitor cost (up to $30,000).
Agronomic Support for Nitrogen Management Plans: 50% of cost (up to $10,000);
Soil Testing – 85% of cost (up to $2,500);
Soil Mapping – 50% of costs (up to $10,000).
Adding Legumes to Crop Rotation: $35/acre (up to $75,000)
Upgrading Seeder Equipment to Allow for Banding / Side Dressing / Injection of Fertilizer: $200/ft (up to $20,000).
Split Application of Fertilizer to improve Nitrogen use: 85% of implementation costs of second pass (up to $30,000)
Manure Integration (worked into soil) to reduce Nitrogen volatilization: $35/acre (up to $75,000)
Offsetting higher cost of synthetic fertilizer substitutes (purchase of manure, compost, digestates): 85% of increased cost (up to $75,000)
Contact Information
For more information on the West Interlake Watershed District Prairie Watershed Climate Program (PWCP), contact 204-762-5850 or email contact@wiwd.ca.
Application forms and further information can be found here: https://wiwd.ca/page.php?id=13
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.