Advocates call on Sask. government to create wetland policy before agricultural water policy

The Saskatchewan Alliance for Water Sustainability (SAWS) and other water advocacy groups are calling on the province to create a wetland policy.

About 10,000 acres of wetlands are lost on average each year in Saskatchewan, according to Ducks Unlimited. It is the only province without a comprehensive policy to manage and preserve wetlands.

Advocates said they are concerned that the province's new upcoming Agricultural Water Stewardship Policy will maintain existing drainage and create new wetland drainage projects. 

The policy aims to help farmers deal with occasional overland flooding.

"We need a wetland policy like Alberta, Manitoba, the rest of Canada first. And then we can tailor the policies to each industry," said Aura Lee MacPherson, co-chair of SAWS. 

SAWS wants Saskatchewan to stop draining its wetlands. It said wetlands are critical to the survival of many species.  They store water during floods, reduce damage from droughts and replenish groundwater.

SAWS said loss of biodiversity and wetlands comes with real economic, social and environmental costs, including health risks and increased water treatment costs.

Advocates say the new Agricultural Water Stewardship Policy will also threaten lakes and rivers with excess nutrients, and increase toxic algal blooms.

Erika Ritchie, NDP critic for the Water Security Agency, said the Agricultural Water Stewardship Policy is not only bad for the environment, but also tourism. 

"Everyone wants to be able to enjoy the weekend at the cabin, at a recreational facility. And to show up and there's blue-green algae and swimming advisories … your experience is dramatically impacted," Ritchie said.

Ritchie said municipalities have called for a provincial wetland strategy. She also noted that the provincial auditor has identified the need as well.

"Communities that rely on groundwater for their potable water … and now they're going dry as a result of magnitude of drainage … those are the kinds of issues we're talking about," said Ritchie. 

"We're not asking the government for a lot here. Just develop a wetland policy similar to those already in place in the neighbouring jurisdictions."

SAWS, Calling Lakes Ecomuseum and Last Mountain Lake Stewardship Group said creating a separate wetland policy before an agricultural water policy is crucial, because wetlands also store large amounts of carbon, which is instrumental in fighting climate change.