Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
In July, three years after Cowichan Valley farmer Katy Ehrlich applied to get her farm's well licensed, provincial officials visited her farm. "They had an order with them that said that we had to stop diverting groundwater for commercial purposes. And we were like shocked," said Ehrlich, who had thought everything was fine with her application for a non-domestic groundwater licence, a requirement under the B.C. Water Sustainability Act (WSA).
The province’s Water Security Agency is continuing flood mitigation efforts in Saskatchewan, with renewed funding for ongoing flood mapping efforts in south and central Saskatchewan. More than $2 million has been earmarked in the 2023-24 budget as an investment into the agency’s Flood Hazard Identification Mapping Program. Through the program, the WSA conducts mapping and technical work to evaluate risk for communities identified to be in potential flooding zones. The purpose is to understand where protection or mitigation work is needed, to prevent significant harm from possible flood damage, according to the province.
Dare we say spring has finally come to Saskatchewan? It sure seems like it. After a weekend of warmer than usual weather, Tuesday brought even warmer temperatures across much of the province, meaning the snow and ice kept melting. The Water Security Agency (WSA) advised the public on Tuesday of the potential for ice jams on Swift Current Creek, the Moose Jaw River, the Qu'Appelle River and the Wood River after recent rapid melting and runoff.
The Water Security Agency’s (WSA) Conditions at Freeze-up Report says the province is experiencing a dry winter in most areas. Early summer and spring precipitations were higher than normal while the last half of summer and fall experienced soil conditions drier than normal at freeze-up. Southern and central Saskatchewan have adequate supplies of later water reservoirs.
On his ranch, Doug Wilson walks past an old abandoned three-storey home and stands at the bank of what had once been the flowing Maple Creek. The creek is dry again this year as brittle, dead tree debris litters the edges. Grass is growing where, at one time, water would have normally passed by. “Over the last 20 years we’ve seen a huge amount of tree loss,” Wilson said earlier this summer near the southwest Saskatchewan town. “It’s dying. The whole area is dying.” Wilson relies on the water to feed his cattle. It represents his livelihood and helps him survive. But over the last few years, he’s had to reduce his herd size from 600 cattle to 400. He’s also had to pay for someone else’s feed because he’s been short on water.
A preliminary report from the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) states the spring melt rate is expected to have a significant impact on runoff yields in southern areas of the province. How that impacts subsoil moisture levels or surface water supplies depends on the speed of the melt, the report states. Most southern regions experienced very dry conditions last summer and into the fall freeze-up, and a below snowmelt runoff potential is being forecast by the WSA.
Weather modeling data indicates that parts of central and northern Saskatchewan could see wetter than normal conditions between December and March, and near normal precipitation for the rest of Saskatchewan. Due to minimal runoff in spring 2021 followed by what was generally a hot and dry summer, most agricultural areas of the province are currently experiencing drier than normal moisture conditions. Conditions are driest starting in the central area of the province around Saskatoon and extending in a south westerly direction toward Rosetown, down through Leader and then to the Maple Creek area.
It could be wetter than normal in the coming months for parts of Saskatchewan. However, Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency (WSA) said Wednesday that even if there is an above-normal snowpack, the chance of an above-normal runoff is not likely. The agency said that is due to dry conditions at freeze-up. A minimal runoff last spring, followed by a mostly hot and dry summer, has left many agricultural areas of the province with drier than normal conditions. Conditions are driest in the Saskatoon area, extending out to Rosetown, Leader and the Maple Creek area.
The Water Security Agency (WSA), with the support of Natural Resources Canada, is offering free online workshops called AgH2Onward to introduce farmers and ranchers to the Agricultural Water Management program in Saskatchewan, the process and benefits of drainage approvals, and innovative techniques to best manage water on their land. The free workshops are being offered until April 2022 and include two half-day sessions.
The public is invited to take part in a couple of open house events this week to learn more about the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects. The 10 year multi-project is expected to provide a major boost for the Province's agriculture sector. Once completed, the Lake Diefenbaker Projects will provide over 500,000 acres of agricultural land in southern and central Saskatchewan with water. Patrick Boyle, the Executive Director of Communications with the Water Security Agency, says they are holding a couple of open house events this week so that people have a better understanding of the work that is being planned and the impact it will have for the areas.
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is worried about a proposal to create a federal water agency. In a media release issued March 25, SARM said the creation of a Canada Water Agency (CWA) causes concern and raises questions about how the overlap of federal regulations will impact provincial rules.
Most of southern Saskatchewan has the potential for a below to well below normal spring runoff, according to preliminary data released Friday by the Water Security Agency. The north, however, could experience a normal to above normal runoff. The WSA said it bases its estimates on a number of factors, including conditions at freeze-up and the snowpack. Most of the southern regions experienced very dry conditions last summer and into the fall, and the snowpack is near normal to below normal. The WSA says this projects to a below normal runoff for an area covering Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Melfort, dipping as far south as Maple Creek and Val Marie.
