The main pests that require outside assistance are beavers and coyotes. The approach taken is to offer assistance via workshops and hands-on training in addition to providing awareness and educational materials in management and prevention.
Pest Control
Grasshoppers
Extension staff conduct annual grasshopper surveys with 84 fields surveyed in 2018. The information is provided to the province to help with predicting grasshopper issues in the future.
Club Root
Clubroot surveillance and inspection has been elevated for the past four years even though annual crops in Clearwater County are a small portion of the agricultural use of all deeded land. All canola fields known to Agriculture and Community Services are inspected. 72 fields were inspected in 2013, 81 in 2014, 119 in 2015, 102 in 2016, 44 in 2017 and 115 in 2018.
The first confirmation of clubroot in Clearwater County was discovered in 2014. Two fields were identified as clubroot positive. They were not in close proximity to each other nor was there any sharing of equipment or resources.
In 2015 10 new fields were identified and links were established in many of the fields between landowners and equipment. In 2016 only 2 new fields were found and testing indicated a very low infestation rate.
Due to a delayed harvest and some unharvested crops in the fall of 2016, coupled with a wet spring in 2017, there was a 50 percent reduction in fields planted to canola. Consequently, there were just 44 fields examined with 2 positive results from the samples sent away. Of 115 fields sampled in 2018, 3 tested positive for clubroot.
Richardson Ground Squirrel aka. Gopher
Click Here for more information on control methods for gophers
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Fire Ban
Todays fire rating is Moderate
Current Fire Rating:Moderate
As of 14:00 April 23, 2024 a fire restriction is in effect for Clearwater County. The fire restriction is put into place in response to hot and dry conditions with minimal precipitation in the forecast. The grass and fine fuels are very dry this time of year and can ignite easily and spread quickly.
Under the restriction, all provincial permits in the Forest Protection Areas (FPA) will be suspended and new permits will not be issued until the conditions improve.
Prohibited:
All outdoor wood fires are banned on public lands, including backcountry and random camping.
All outdoor wood /brush pile fires on private lands within Clearwater County.
The use of fireworks and exploding targets are also prohibited.
Allowed:
Safe wood campfires are allowed on private land and within provincial campgrounds if they are inside an engineered campfire ring.
Backyard fire pits
Charcoal briquette barbeques
Gas and liquid powered appliances (eg stoves, lanterns and propane fire rings)
Open flame oil devices (turkey deep fryers and tiki torches)
Indoor wood fires (such as inside a facility, building, tent or RV) and contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor
Cooking, warming and lighting devices – all devices must be CSA approved and used per the manufacturers standards
Users are still responsible for the care and attendance of all devices and should reduce their use during fire restrictions and bans. Approved activities or devices will not prevent prosecution or litigation if the user or device starts a wildfire.