The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency announced Thursday morning its Agricultural Water Stewardship Policy has been finalized.
They’re also committing $1 million over the next three years for ongoing research and monitoring to ensure the policy is effective over the long-term. The money, it says in a news release, “will fund projects that help to ensure the policy continues to make sense for Saskatchewan people and its landscape.” The WSA adds it will publicly report on the policy’s progress and effectiveness.
“This policy will ensure that stewardship continues by establishing a limit on how many wetlands can be drained and how many wetlands need to be retained on the landscape,” reads the release, adding the policy “sets a baseline wetland retention goal of 40 per cent, and higher (up to 60 per cent) where required to protect important water sources.”
This follows two years of work that’s included consultations with stakeholder and producer organizations and Metis & Indigenous rights holders, as well as 11 different pilot projects in the southeast, east-central, northeast, central, and western parts of the province.
“I appreciate the contributions of the 80 stakeholder and Indigenous organizations who helped shape this policy,” Minister Responsible for the Water Security Agency Daryl Harrison said. “We are committed to getting this right for Saskatchewan and will continue to invest in research, monitoring and make adjustments where needed.”
“The policy is a made-in-Saskatchewan approach to agriculture water management,” Water Security Agency President and CEO Shawn Jaques said. “The policy will support flood prevention, and protection of water quality and wetland habitat, while still allowing drainage to be used as a tool to improve farm efficiency and productivity, as well as soil health.”
The policy has been met with concern from groups such as Wetlands for Tomorrow over the lack of enforcement of illegal drainage that’s led to the loss of wetlands. They’ve called for a science-based policy that balances enforcement of illegal drainage activities, mitigating impacts from drainage and open and transparent reporting by the provincial government and the Water Security Agency.
Additional information about the Ag Water Stewardship Policy can be found at www.wsask.ca/agwatermanagement.
