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New forecasting tool aims to help Manitoba farmers better manage extreme weather events

Winnipeg – The federal government is working with Manitoba farmers to create a tool to give them forecasts for soil moisture, groundwater and surface water flow to help manage and mitigate risks associated with extreme weather events.

The government is spending more than $1.1 million on the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association. The funding will be used to develop a new forecasting tool to help farmers and stakeholders better understand and manage extreme weather events within the Assiniboine River Basin.

With this funding, the association will create a web-based tool that will provide seven-day, forward-looking forecasts for soil moisture, groundwater and surface water flow. Producers can use this real-time information to adopt better risk management strategies and inform decisions about their operations in the face of extreme weather.

The new interactive tool will also show how soil and landscape management strategies could influence moisture and water conditions over the seven-day interval, with the goal of encouraging adoption of beneficial management practices.