Agricultural practices and water quality in Saskatchewan : the social ecology of resource management

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Date
2002-05-06Author
Kehrig, Randall Francis
Type
ThesisDegree Level
MastersMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This thesis presents the results of exploratory sociological research designed to better understand how farmers select agricultural practices with the potential to effect water quality. The primary research methodology is a Rapid Rural Appraisal of thirty farms in five rural municipalities in Saskatchewan, Canada during the year 2000 growing season. The data establishes that a variety of economic, institutional, organizational, and social factors interact in dynamic ways to influence farmer resource management decisions and that the resulting agricultural practices have the potential for subtle and dramatic effects on water quality in Saskatchewan. Risk-mitigating farming methods known as “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) are interpreted by farmers in the field research as being both appropriate and problematic. Alternative initiatives and communication strategies are identified in the field data that offer support to production and productivity in the agriculture sector while also promoting water quality. The research suggests that measures such as providing accessible public water quality data, promoting water treatment for individual households, and educating rural women and youth about water quality issues may merit further investigation.
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)Department
SociologyProgram
SociologySupervisor
Gertler, Michael E.Committee
Martz, Diane; Boehm, Marie; Schissel, BernardCopyright Date
May 2002Subject
water policy
water quality
watershed management
water planning
water analysis
sociology
political economy
water consultant
best management practices
development
beneficial management practices
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