Reservoirs in Good Shape Across Most of Saskatchewan; Southwest an Exception

Apr 05, 2024

Reservoir water levels are in good shape across most of Saskatchewan, with the southwest being the one main exception.

The provincial Water Security Agency (WSA) said in a release Wednesday that 33 of the 45 major Saskatchewan reservoirs are near full or are expected to fill, while another six are between 70-90% full and still filling. The remaining six reservoirs, most of them located in the southwest, are not expected to fill, it said.

The southwest is one of the hardest-hit areas of the province in terms of multi-year drought, with the latest monthly Canadian drought monitor showing a mix of moderate to extreme drought. Despite much of the province receiving near or above normal precipitation this winter, well above normal temperatures significantly reduced snowpacks and exposed soils throughout much of the southern portion of the province.

Meanwhile, the WSA’s March 12 spring runoff forecast showed below to well below normal runoff potential for the southwestern part of the province.

WSA said the province’s largest reservoir, Lake Diefenbaker – which supplies 60% of Saskatchewan’s water supply needs - was over 1 metre higher than it was at this time last year, and over 1.5 metres higher than the same time in 2022.

Over the winter WSA implemented a conservative operating plan at Lake Diefenbaker to retain and store water ahead of possible dry conditions this spring.

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