VERNON, B.C. (Staff) – It was a ranch that violated every line of the agriculture code of practice.
The barnyard backed onto the lake and the land had a neglected appearance.
Within six months Rob and Judy Merkel, owners of Eagle Valley Ranch northeast of Cache Creek, improved the land and water courses to a point where they were named the winners of the first environmental stewardship award in British Columbia, sponsored by the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association.
During a picture presentation at the association’s convention, the Merkels had a before picture that showed how all ranch runoff drained into the nearby shores of Loon Lake, leaving it murky and yellow.
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Their first task was to clean up the lakeshore. Pens were moved off the slopes, cattle were kept away from the shoreline and other debris was cleared. When they stopped the manure and sewage runoff, they managed to get rid of the prolific algae blooms that were killing the lake trout.
Prior to this massive renovation effort, the ice along the shore was brown in winter. In the spring the water was yellow and cloudy. By stopping farmyard drainage the water now runs clear. Clover has been seeded along to shore to prevent erosion, said Rob.
All the B.C. ranches nominated for this award were judged by representatives from Ducks Unlimited and the departments of environment and agriculture.
B.C. joins other provincial associations in their efforts to recognize those who take care of their ranches and improve their environment, said Harold Starr of the BCCA’s environmental stewardship committee.
The Merkel family is now in the running for a national environmental steward award sponsored by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
