A flooded farm in the Arborfield area. (file photo/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Flooding issues

Record year for drainage management plan

May 6, 2019 | 5:00 PM

A record number of Saskatchewan producers have made big strides to address flooding, according to new figures from the provincial government.

For 2018-2019, 1,481 quarter sections came into compliance, more than doubling last year’s numbers and a tenfold increase from 2014-15, which represented the last year under the previous water management regulations. Patrick Boyle, a spokesperson for the Water Security Agency, said he was especially pleased to see more than 90 per cent (1,363) were approvals that occurred through voluntary compliance, with only eight per cent (118) coming via closures.

“Farmers are the best stewards of the land and certainly they have been for many years. We just want to work with producers to make sure we get that drainage organized and managed in a responsible way,” he said

Since launching the Agricultural Water Management Strategy in 2015, more than 440,000 acres of land have been approved, which supports sustainable agricultural production in Saskatchewan.

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“Farmers are working hard to find effective and balanced solutions that benefit producers and communities while mitigating downstream flooding and protecting our environment,” Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency Dustin Duncan said in a news release. “More and more producers are recognizing the increased value of organized and responsible drainage for their land and farming operations.”

The Vipond Creek Network Project, east of Glenavon in the Rosetown area, was one of the major highlights in 2018-19. A joint-application was signed by 47 landowners to co-ordinate water management in the area. This single drainage approval, including more than 17,000 acres (across 113 quarter sections), was developed over the past two years.

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