The Government of Saskatchewan’s strategic plans include the commitment to ensure the health of water resources, including sustaining water quality and ecosystem function.  Specific goals within the 25 Year Water Security Strategy created in 2012 include the protection of water resources, defining of water quality objectives for priority watercourses (Goal 3), and ensuring that adequate water quality information is available to support decision making (Goal 6). Currently, the Water Security Agency (WSA) undertakes surface water quality monitoring for a number of projects.  This includes long-term monitoring, agreement-based monitoring, and short-term project-specific monitoring. Long-term provincial water quality monitoring includes monitoring of larger rivers or rivers that cross province borders (Primary Stations Monitoring Program), smaller streams arising within the province (Baseline Environmental Monitoring of Lower Order Saskatchewan Streams, BEMLOSS), and Lake Diefenbaker. Agreement-based monitoring includes Qu’Appelle lakes downstream of Regina and Rafferty Reservoir/Grant Devine Lake. A few examples of short-term project specific monitoring include water quality monitoring to support understanding of management options associated with Quill lakes flooding, quantifying nutrient source contributions to the Qu’Appelle River and spill response monitoring.

WSA is making surface water quality data publicly available on its website, starting with data from its Primary Station Monitoring Program.  In the future, WSA aims to provide web-based information about its major surface water quality programs and on-line access to surface water quality data from all its monitoring.

Link to 25 Year Water Security Strategy

Saskatchewan Surface Water Quality Objectives

Water quality objectives are developed to provide scientific-based information about the suitability of water for various uses, including the protection of aquatic life, recreational activities, agriculture (e.g. irrigation, livestock watering), and industrial and municipal water supplies. The Surface Water Quality Objectives are numerical concentrations or narrative statements that are intended to serve as a guide for issuing permits, licenses and orders, and as a means of supporting and maintaining designated water uses in Saskatchewan. Follow the link below for more information on Saskatchewan Surface Water Quality Objectives.

Link to Saskatchewan Surface Water Quality Objectives