Cost-Benefit Analysis of Three Proposed Distributed Water Storage Options for Manitoba

This report attempts to demonstrate how land management best practices to prevent floods and droughts can also provide significant nutrient management and other types of co-benefits.

It provides a cost-benefit analysis of three potential interventions in the province of Manitoba for mitigating flooding through distributed water storage, as proposed by Dr. David Lobb of the University of Manitoba, including expanded ditches, large retention ponds on farmland and berms around the perimeter of the agricultural lands. The benefit types that the study quantifies and monetizes include avoided drought, new wetland habitat, cattails produced, carbon credits, avoided flooding costs and reduced eutrophication. Costs analyzed include up-front capital costs, operating costs, and the opportunity cost associated with lost farmland.

This report has a sharable inforgraphic, click here to view.