Water shortages shaping up, agency cautions

REGINA After a dry summer and little snow so far this winter, the Water Security Agency (WSA) is expecting below-normal spring run-off and potential agricultural water supply shortages similar to those of 2018.

On Thursday, the province’s WSA released its preliminary spring run-off outlook for 2019.

The report noted that the summer of 2018 saw extremely low rainfall across a large portion of southern Saskatchewan with near-record dry conditions in some locations. The dry spell continued into the fall with below-normal precipitation. As a result, soil moisture conditions were dry at freeze-up and significant wetland storage was available in many areas.

Based on current conditions, near-normal snowmelt run-off is expected in a band that runs through the northern agricultural region and southern boreal forest. Below-normal snowmelt run-off is also expected over the far north.

However, the report noted the spring run-off outlook could yet change since there’s another eight to 10 weeks of winter remaining.

“However, with dry fall conditions and below-average winter precipitation to date, it would take well above-average precipitation in February, March and April to produce an above-average spring run-off within most areas,” said the report.

Below or well below normal snowmelt run-off expected in the spring of 2019 could leave some agricultural water in short supply. The issue is likely to intensify and expand across southern Saskatchewan. This could also create some surface water supply issues for municipalities and irrigators if conditions remain dry.