“They might buy a quarter for $100,000 because it’s got, let’s say it’s got a 10-acre slough on it or a wetland,” she said..
“They immediately drain it, let’s say onto me, and I bought my quarter for $100,000. Well, now their quarter’s worth $150,000 because they’ve got more croppable acres.”
Lowndes said if she were to try to sell her quarter, she would lose a significant amount of money due to the water sitting on her land.
The provincial Water Security Agency (WSA) is currently offering up to $25,000 to farmers and landowners who are considering drainage projects, through the Agricultural Water Management Fund.
The money is to help advance projects, including preparing drainage applications, assistance with project planning and acting as a liaison between landowners, according to the agency’s website.
Kerri Finlay, a Canada Research Chair and director of the Institute for Environmental Change and Society at the University of Regina, is one of the lead authors of the study.