Hats off to the ranchers

East Kootenay ranchers play a key role in the City of Cranbrook’s wastewater management program

1 of 2Lonnie Jones (pictured here on the left) is one of the original ranchers who have been farming at the City of Cranbrook’s spray-irrigation site for more than 30 years. — Photo courtesy City of Cranbrook/[email protected]

2 of 2The City of Cranbrook uses low-pressure spray pivot technology to distribute the effluent on the fields. The pivots are remote-controlled and the operator can even use an iPhone to run them. — Photo courtesy City of Cranbrook/[email protected]

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The local ranchers contribute to the City of Cranbrook’s wastewater management program by harvesting crops and grazing their cattle on the grass so that it keeps growing and requires more effluent.

Joe McGowan, the director of public works for the City of Cranbrook, explained that no matter how much water it gets, if the grass doesn’t get mowed down, it will grow to a certain height and then stop. City staff realized this when the spray-irrigation site was built 34 years ago, so the City of Cranbrook got six local ranchers involved. The same six have been there ever since, and Lonnie Jones is one of them.

Seeing short- and long-term benefits

Jones farms approximately 275 acres of hayland and about 160 acres of irrigated pasture on the City fields. According to Jones, having the spray-irrigation site makes it easier for him and the other ranchers to make a living in what has become a tough business.

He said that the cows grazing on irrigated pasture are fatter and the calves grow faster than the ones on the range because the feed is of higher quality and the cattle don’t have to travel as far to find it. Since the cows are contained in a smaller area, Jones said, the conception rates in the cows are higher and the farmers can check them more easily.

“You can literally see every cow we’ve got down there in a matter of minutes,” he said.

Looking to the future

According to Jones, the upgrades to the City of Cranbrook’s spray-irrigation site—in addition to having a new manager there—have been good for the ranchers.

Jones said the following in terms of the awards the City of Cranbrook has won for its wastewater treatment and spray-irrigation improvement project: “We’ve been so involved for so long that it almost feels like we won it.”

He later added, “I’m proud to be a part of it. It’s a hell of an operation. Everyone down there—and I might be speaking (out of turn)—wouldn’t have the success in agriculture that they enjoy if they weren’t involved. And also, some of the best cattle in the valley come off the project.”

For other stories related to the City of Cranbrook's wastewater improvement project, see Cranbrook Wins on Wastewater Management and Where It All Goes.