Spring runoff in Sask. projected to be below normal

A winter that didn’t include much snowfall could mean a dry spring for much of Saskatchewan.

In its March spring runoff outlook released Thursday, the Water Security Agency (WSA) projected that much of the province is facing a below-normal spring runoff.

“While much of the southern half of the province entered the winter with good to excess moisture conditions, below-average snowfall has decreased the runoff potential,” the WSA said in its release.

That could result in problems for some agricultural producers in the province if things don’t change.

“A band in southwestern Saskatchewan stretching from Moose Jaw through to Lucky Lake and Leader is facing the driest conditions with a well-below-normal runoff projected,” the WSA outlook said.

“Some agricultural water supply issues could develop within drier areas during 2020 if lack of moisture persists through spring.”

The agency noted that the outlook could improve because March and April often are some of the year’s wettest months.

The WSA said only the far northwest and extreme southeast and southwest corners of the province are expected to get near- or above-normal runoffs.

But areas with above-normal projections shouldn’t see flooding, the agency said, because of current conditions and conditions typically seen at this time of year.

The WSA also noted that lakes in the Qu’Appelle Valley — including Last Mountain, Pasqua, Echo, and Crooked lakes — could have lower-than-desirable summer operating levels because of the lack of moisture over the winter.