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The Swift Flowing River February 2018 Issue:
A South Saskatchewan Watershed Steward E-Newsletter
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Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation Source Water Protection Plan
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Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation share much of the perimeter of Duck Lake in Saskatchewan. Significant flooding in 2014 prompted the development of a partnership with the SSRWSI, the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council (NSRBC), and the University of Saskatchewan to undertake source water protection planning to address threat’s to the community’s ground water source. A successful application to Environment Canada’s Eco Action Fund contributed $99,700 to the project, and each partner contributed time and staff to get the job done.
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You can help monitor for aquatic invasive mussels in Saskatchewan
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Monitoring is an important tool in the fight against aquatic invasive species (AIS), including the spread of zebra and quagga mussels into Saskatchewan.
Aquatic invasive mussels pose a serious threat to our lakes and waterways and have been discovered in Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and 34 states, including Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota. These species can be impossible to eliminate if they become established in a waterbody, and have the potential to severely impact aquatic habitats, fisheries, valuable recreational resources and water-related infrastructure.
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This past fall residents of two resort villages within the South Saskatchewan River participated in an on-line survey of waste management practices. There were 150 responses from the 304 surveys sent out. A great response!
The survey included questions on type of wastewater management system used, capacity and age of systems, as well when it was last inspected. There were also questions regarding the health of the lakes, activities that may impact lake health, and willingness to take part in stewardship activities.
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Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit (AHPP)
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The Resort Village of Thode will be repairing 150’ of eroded shoreline this spring. Before starting work, they applied for an Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit through the Water Security Agency.
The primary goal of the Aquatic Habitat Protection Program is to ensure aquatic habitat is preserved and maintained at the productive level which existed prior to the development. Any work that occurs in the bed, bank or boundary of a water body or watercourse, or any discharge with adverse effects on water requires that an Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit is obtained prior to beginning work. This permit can take several months to obtain so application should be made as early as possible.
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Agri-Environmental Group Plan Activities
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Growing Forward 2 is coming to a close March 31st. Deadlines for the Farm Stewardship and Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Programs have all passed. April 1st 2018 the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership program will come into effect. To date, no details on how the new program will be delivered has been shared. February 12
th, a grazing workshop was held in the Dinsmore area where producers worked through grazing scenarios for their operations and got their nutrition, water, and forages questions answered. If you would like one in your area, please let us know! Watch for details on the provincial website
www.saskatchewan.ca.
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Flowering Rush (Butomus umbellatus) is an exotic, invasive plant that was sold for use in water gardening up until the summer of 2010, but is now prohibited by law in Saskatchewan. Its invasive characteristics are similar to the better-known Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in that it invades wetland edges and slowly displaces native species, forming a monoculture and ultimately killing the wetland.
In 2002, a single population was found in a wetland in Saskatchewan but remained largely unknown until 2008. This was the first and only known escaped population of flowering rush that has established in Saskatchewan.* Recognizing the danger of letting it spread to other nearby wetlands, the NPSS launched a project to map and eradicate the flowering rush in this wetland. Every year in August, the wetland is mapped to determine the current waterline as well as the extent of the spread of flowering rush. At the same time, plant counts and other data are collected, photos are taken and all flowering rush are manually removed using protocol developed by the NPSS.
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March 20, 2018
Legion Hall
Central Butte, SK
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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Hosted by Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards and South Sask River Agri-Environmental Group Plan
Cost: $10.00 cash or cheque (includes lunch)
Topics
- Invasive Plant ID
- Biological, Cultural, and Chemical Controls
- Your Phone as a Tool
- Sprayer Calculations & Considerations
- Case Study
RSVP by March 12, 2018
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2018 Wetlands & Wildlife Poster Contest
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The South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards are one of 11 provincial watershed stewardship associations participating in the 2018 contest. The South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards (SSRWSI) will be providing prizes for the top 3 local winners selected from entrants that live within our watershed. The 1st place poster within the Old Wives Watershed will then be judged at the provincial level against the top posters from the other 10 watersheds for the chance to win the provincial prize - which consists of $500 prize package for the student and $500 for their classroom!
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Entry Deadline
Monday, March 26, 2018
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Osler Community Hall
508 1st Street, Osler, SK
April 27, 2018
12:30 PM - 4:00 PM
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2017 Annual General Meeting and Watershed Advisory Committee Meetings of the South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards
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Agenda (Further Details to be Announced)
12:30-1:00 PM - Coffee and Donuts
1:00-2:30 PM - Watershed Advisory Committee Meetings (North, Central, and West WAC, Combined Meeting)
2:30-2:45 PM - Coffee and Donuts
2:45-4:00 PM - Annual General Meeting
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Have you renewed your membership for 2018?
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Membership is open to Urban and Rural Municipalities, First Nations and Special Interest Groups that are within the South Saskatchewan River Watershed.
To renew or apply for a 2018 Membership in the SSRWSI, please contact Shauna Prokopchuk, Association Manager, via email at
shauna@managewise.ca.
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Urban Municipalities
City of Martensville
City of Saskatoon
Resort Village of Shields
Resort Village of Thode
Town of Cabri
Town of Cudworth
Town of Leader
Town of Osler
Town of Rosthern
Village of Alvena
Special Interest Group
Meewasin Valley Authority
Pike Lake Watershed Association
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Rural Municipalities
RM of Chesterfield No 261
RM of Corman Park No 344
RM of Deer Forks No 232
RM of Excelsior No 166
RM of Fertile Valley No 285
RM of Fish Creek No 402
RM of Happyland No 231
RM of Hoodoo No 401
RM of Kindersley No 290
RM of Loreburn No 254
RM of Miry Creek No 229
RM of Montrose No 315
RM of Newcombe No 260
RM of Prince Albert No 461
RM of Saskatchewan Landing No 167
RM of Victory No 226
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The South Saskatchewan River Watershed
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The South Saskatchewan River Watershed is the second largest watershed in Saskatchewan, covering 35,000 km2. The South Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan is 715 km long, from the Alberta border to the confluence of the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers at "The Forks" just east of Prince Albert. It supports nearly half of Saskatchewan's total population as a source for municipal and private drinking water. The Watershed includes 54 Rural Municipalities and 81 communities, including the Cities of Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville.
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Association Manager
Marketing Communications Manager
AEGP Technicians
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SSRWSI Board of Directors
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West Watershed Area
Lorne Janzen, Town of Kindersley
Rob Oldhaver, Town of Cabri
Lake Diefenbaker Watershed Area
Harold Martens, RM of Excelsior
Coy Schellenberg, RM of Victory
Les Ferguson, Pike Lake Cottage and Watershed Association
North Watershed Area
Ben Buhler, Town of Osler
Zach Jeffries, City of Saskatoon
Twyla Yobb, City of Saskatoon
Judy Harwood, RM of Corman Park
Renny Grilz, Meewasin Valley Authority
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THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
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Click their logo to visit their website!
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South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards Inc.
279 2366 Avenue C North
(Norplex Business Centre)
Saskatoon, SK S7L 5X5
Phone 1 (306) 343-9549
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