Recently in Water Series Category

The issue of irrigation development around Lake Diefenbaker has many varied perspectives. To generate discussion on this multi-faceted issue, the Illative Blog is hosting a four-part series on irrigation development in the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB).We have invited four authors to share their perspectives.

Over the next four days the Water Series entries will be posted. We encourage you to follow this series during the course of the week, and to take the opportunity to post a comment on the perspectives and inferences raised by any or all of the authors.

The schedule for postings is as follows:
Monday, Feb. 25th - The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority provides an overview on the primary uses and operational management of Lake Diefenbaker, including a commentary on the factors that are considered when managing water levels.

Tuesday, Feb 26th - Kevin Hursh provides a policy perspective on irrigation for agriculture.

Wednesday, Feb 27th - Harvey Hill (PFRA) takes into consideration the water situation in the United States to broaden our awareness of the growing irrigation potential of Lake Diefenbaker.

Thursday, Feb 28th - Joel Bruneau (Economics, University of Saskatchewan), who recently co-authored "Climate Change and Water: SSRB Final Technical Report," reminds us that expanding irrigation requires careful management to sustain all sectors reliant on water flow from the SSRB.

Join the discussion - please provide us with your perspectives on this important issue!

In this posting I would like to talk about how events upstream of Lake Diefenbaker may limit irrigation development in Saskatchewan in the future. Irrigation development, like many other investments, has a long payoff period and it is important to understand how changing circumstances can alter these payoffs over time. We need to ensure that plans to expand irrigation around Lake Diefenbaker account for future developments.

Lake Diefenbaker has been the ugly duckling of irrigation projects since its birth for a variety of geographic and socio-economic reasons. Is it now turning into a swan? And if so, why would that be? Look no further than the United States and Alberta. In the United States, agriculture accounts for 80% of the country's water consumption and over 90% in many Western States. Irrigated cropland area has expanded 30 percent since 1969, making irrigation agriculture the dominant user of fresh water in the United States.

Are the stars finally aligning to see significant new irrigation development in Saskatchewan?

The Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association has been advocating more public investment in irrigation development for years, but little has happened. At the annual SIPA meeting in December, there was renewed optimism that the time is now right.

Gardiner Dam, located 25 kilometers downstream from Elbow on the South Saskatchewan River, opened on June 21,1967, in conjunction with the Qu'Appelle River Dam. Both projects helped to create Lake Diefenbaker, a 225-kilometer long reservoir with a full supply level of 556.86 meters. The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority directs the operation of Lake Diefenbaker and consults with SaskPower to ensure discharges can be effectively handled at SaskPower's downstream Nipawin and E.B. Campbell hydroelectric plants.