Where Water, Wellness & Communities Meet
IN THIS ISSUE:
SWEAP has officially launched, offering rebates for climate-friendly farm practices.
Protecting Saskatchewan’s lakes is key to sustainable agriculture, learn how you can help by adopting best practices.
APRIL 2025
April 17 - ALUS-PAC Meeting, Kerry Vickar Centre, Melfort
April 30 - Northeast District Advisory Committee Meeting, Suncrest College, Yorkton
MAY 2025
May 1 - Northwest District Advisory Committee Meeting, Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon
May 3 - Nutrien’s Caring for Our Watersheds Competition Finals, Saskatoon
May 22 - Tree for Life Sales End
JULY 2025
July 15-17 - Ag in Motion, Langham Range Road 3083 at Hwy. 16
SASKATCHEWAN WATERSHED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE PROGRAM (SWEAP) LAUNCHED
The Saskatchewan Watershed Environment Agriculture Program (SWEAP) is now open for producer enrollment. The program offers rebates for the adoption of Beneficial Management Practices (BMP’s):
1. Improving Nitrogen Management:
a. The use of Polymer Coated Urea (PCU), urease and nitrification inhibitors.
b. Incorporating legumes into crop rotation.
c. Split fertilizer application and equipment upgrades
d. Soil testing, soil mapping and agronomic services.
2. Increasing Adoption of Cover Cropping: payment-peracre to cover adoption or related costs such as seeds and equipment.
3. Expanding the Adoption of Rotational Grazing:
a. Interior cross fencing and perimeter fencing to support a grazing plan developed by a Professional Agrologist.
b. Water system infrastructure to support a grazing plan developed by a Professional Agrologist.
c. Pasture Composition Improvement: Over-seeding of legumes into exiting forage stands.
All projects need to be either a new practice for the operation or an expanded acres where the practice was not done prior to 2022. All projects must be initiated after February 1, 2025, and be endorsed by a licensed agrology professional. Invoices must be dated on or after February 1, 2025. Total payments cannot exceed $100,000 from all OFCAF funding sources for the period February 7, 2022 and March 31, 2028. Applicants will work directly with SAW’s Agri-Environmental Coordinators to apply to SWEAP. Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada through the Agriculture Climate Solutions- On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).
For further information, click the link below.
SWEAP Agriculture Professional Workshop (April 10th, 2025)
ECO-BUFFERS: TREE CARE
Ecological buffers, or eco-buffers, are a type of alternative agroforestry that mimics natural environments and provides important ecosystem services. Eco-buffers mimic the natural environment by consisting of a variety of native trees and shrubs that are planted in natural arrangements. When planting seedlings to create an eco-buffer, precaution and care are needed in both the short-term and long-term to ensure the plants survival.
In the short term, survival of the trees relies on proper planning, which ensures that the site has been prepped for the seedlings and that the proper species of seedlings have been selected. Preparing the site ensures that there are no weeds or invasive species that would compete with the seedling for nutrients and water, while selecting the proper type of seedling will ensure that they can survive in the conditions present at the site.
Another factor that affects the short-term survival of the seedling
is proper planting. Caution must be taken when planting to ensure the hole the seedling will be planted in is deep enough so that the seedling’s roots go straight down. If the hole is not deep enough and the roots curve, it can cause j-root, which is detrimental to the seedling. Another important task when planting is compacting the soil to prevent water from building up near the root and drowning the plant.
After the seedlings have been planted, the trees must be cared for to ensure they stay healthy in the long term. Long-term care of the trees includes checking them periodically and performing necessary maintenance to make sure they have enough water and that no weeds are growing near them. By properly caring for the trees in eco-buffers, it increases the trees’ chances of survival while providing important ecological services, such as acting as a wind buffer, supporting wildlife, increasing water infiltration, and protecting the soil.
For more information about Eco-Buffers, please click the link below.
SAW has funding available for landowners who would like to install eco-buffer shelterbelts within the North Saskatchewan River Watershed and Qu’Appelle River System! If you are interested in the program, please contact info@saskwatersheds.ca or 306-541-9902 for more information about the program and eligibility requirements.
WATERSHED DISTRICT CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLANS NOW AVAILABLE
SAW, with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), is continuing to develop watershed-based climate adaptation plans for Saskatchewan.
SAW is excited to announce that we have completed the climate adaptation plans for the Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast Watershed Districts.
ENHANCING SHORELINES: A NATURAL SOLUTION TO MAINTAIN WATER QUALITY
Shorelines with a dense cover of healthy, native vegetation are critical for maintaining water quality in creeks, rivers, and streams across Saskatchewan. By stabilizing the shore and trapping excess sediments and nutrients during runoff, native vegetation helps minimize erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient deposition that can degrade water quality.
Planning for the Southwest Watershed District has started. SAW will be hosting our first community engagement meeting in June in Swift Current. We are looking forward to hearing from local producers, stakeholders, industry leaders, and other citizens within the district to develop a climate adaptation plan that addresses specific concerns related to climate change, climate variability and extreme events - for those who work, live and play within the Southwest Watershed District.
If you are interested in attending the Southwest Watershed District community engagement meetings or have any questions related to the project, please contact Samantha at ccap@saskwatersheds.ca
Erosion from flood events, livestock activity, and land development can remove or damage natural vegetation and degrade shorelines. To address this issue, SAW recommends enhancing shorelines wherever possible by planting native vegetation such as willows, chokecherries, and dogwoods in degraded shoreline areas. Shoreline enhancement can help maintain water quality for humans, livestock, and at-risk fish species such as the Bigmouth Buffalo.
With funding provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, SAW is currently looking for landowner partners to implement 6 shoreline enhancement projects in southeast Saskatchewan along the Qu’Appelle River. For more information, or if you are interested in participating, please email r.rutko@ saskwatersheds.ca or call (306) 774-2136.
Saskatchewan Summer Storm (Melanie Toppi)
AGRICULTURE AROUND SASKATCHEWAN LAKES
Agriculture is a major component of Saskatchewan’s economy, and agricultural producers rely on water from lakes for livestock and irrigation. To keep agriculture sustainable in Saskatchewan, farmers, ranchers, and residents need to work as a community to protect lakes. Working together to implement lake stewardship best management practices can help ensure our lakes remain healthy for generations to come.
How can agriculture affect lakes?
• Nutrient Loading
- Runoff from agricultural land can add nutrients to lakes, which deteriorate water quality by stimulating algae blooms.
• Erosion & Sedimentation
- Livestock watering on lake shores can damage riparian plants and erodes shorelines, stirring up sediments trapped on the lake bottom or shore which reduces water quality.
- Drainage channels from agricultural land to lakes can alter natural water movement on the landscape, potentially increasing sedimentation in lakes.
• Contamination
- Manure that enters lakes can contaminate lake water with harmful pathogens or bacteria.
- Herbicides or pesticides can contaminate lake water, harming aquatic organisms or causing sickness in livestock and wildlife.
How can you help? Implementing best management practices that limit nutrient loading and prevent erosion, sedimentation, and contamination from agriculture can help keep our lakes healthy.
You can do your part by:
• Reducing fertilizer dependency by using soil testing and mapping, effective crop rotations, zero-tillage, and cover crops.
• Avoiding spreading manure on land adjacent to lakes and properly storing and managing manure so that it does not leach into lakes.
• Using perennial forage near lake shorelines, maintaining buffer strips along lakes, and leaving vegetation in drainage channels to trap nutrients and sediments before they enter lakes.
• Refraining from using herbicides or pesticides where possible or switching to environmentally friendly variants to prevent any contamination.
• Protecting existing shorelines from erosion by installing riparian exclusion fencing or off-site watering systems for livestock.
• Implementing conservation easements that preserve natural shorelines and riparian areas around lakes.
• Planting native trees and shrubs in degraded riparian areas or shorelines to restore bank stability and prevent erosion and sedimentation.
For more information, please click the link below or call (306) 541-9902.
WELCOME TO THE TEAM
HIMAL THAPA , AQUATIC BIOLOGIST
Hi, I’m Himal Thapa, and I joined SAW in March as an Aquatic Biologist. I’m originally from Bangladesh, where I completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aquatic Environment before moving to Canada to pursue my Ph.D. at the University of Saskatchewan.
Before moving here, I worked with non-profit organizations in Bangladesh’s coastal areas, helping local communities adopt sustainable aquaculture practices in seasonally flooded agricultural lands. This experience really shaped my thinking about environmental conservation and taught me just how important community involvement is in protecting our natural resources.
For my Ph.D., I researched how fear affects the way fish think and remember. I discovered that fish living in riskier environments, where predation is a constant threat, were better at remembering how to find their mates than those in safer environments. It’s a really interesting finding, especially considering the rapid changes happening in ecosystems today, like habitat destruction and invasive species. Understanding how wildlife adapts to these challenges is key to figuring out better conservation strategies.
In addition to my research, I’ve also taught as a Head Teaching Assistant and a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan. I’m passionate about environmental stewardship and doing my part to protect our water systems.
When I’m not working, I love traveling, hiking, playing cricket, and playing guitar. Recently, my wife and I have gotten into camping, and we’re enjoying it! I’ve been having a great time at SAW so far. Everyone here is super friendly, and I’m excited to join such a talented team.
OFFICE LOCATIONS
Our office locations are open Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM (closed 12 PM - 1 PM).
HEAD OFFICE
300B - 99 Diefenbaker Dr., Moose Jaw, SK
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT OFFICE 1 Airport Road, Swift Current, SK
MAILING ADDRESS
Box 1177, Moose Jaw, SK, S6H 4P9
Sales End on May 22nd, 2025