The county of Cardston is declaring itself a disaster area due to a high number of dead livestock.
Ranchers in the Southern Alberta community have lost up to 25 per cent of their herds.
One producer says he has lost up to 60 of his animals and he is expecting more deaths
The rain, snow, wind, and plummeting temperatures due to the recent spring storms are being blamed on the increasing number of dying livestock.
Ranchers are also worried about a lack of feed due to pastures which are still snow-covered.
Winter supplies have run out and producers are trying to find their animals somewhere else to forage until the snow melts.
Fences have been damaged and animals are being discovered kilometres away from where they are supposed to be.
In addition, a pilot project being run by the county to dispose of dead animals is now costing much more than anticipate.
Where the snow is melting, large pools of standing water are forming which is leading to increasing disease among animals. Carcasses are also attracting an increasing number of scavengers to the area including grizzlies and coyotes.
By declaring a disaster, the county is hoping to access funding from the provincial government.
So far, no funding commitment has been made by the province but both the Agriculture and Municipal Affairs departments have been made aware of the problem.
