Surface Water Challenges on the Canadian Prairies

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• Surface Water Challenges on the Canadian Prairies
• Risk and Adaptation

Prairie Water Policy Symposium International
Institute for Sustainable Development September
2005, Winnipeg, Manitoba Dave Kiely, P.Eng. Ag
Water Directorate Prairie Farm Rehabilitation
Administration Agriculture Agri-Food Canada
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Presentation OutlinePrairie Surface Water(Ag
Focus)

• Vulnerability of the Water Resource
• Prairie Exposure / Vulnerability /Adaptation
  Experience
• Climate Variability (CV) /Climate Change (CC)
  Projections
• Opportunities

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Canadian Prairies Drought Risk
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Prairie Vulnerability Adaptation to
Drought (Economic/Environmental/Societal)

• CV on Prairies Drought of the 1930s
• - Major economic impacts
• - Federal response
• Canada established the PFRA in 1935 to assist in
  the rehabilitation of the drought and soil
  drifting areas and to develop and promote
  systems of farm practice, tree culture, water
  supply, land utilization and land settlement that
  will afford greater economic security

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Prairie Vulnerability Adaptation to
Drought (Economic/Environmental/Societal)

• PFRA activities
• - Migration to wetter agricultural areas
• - Formation of 1.0 M ha of Community Pastures
• - Rural Water Development Program
• - Large scale irrigation projects
• Provision of trees (shelterbelts) to reduce soil
  erosion / trap snow
• Irrigation research and demonstration - centres

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EXTENT OF 2001 2002 DROUGHT IN THE PRAIRIE
REGION OF CANADA
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Drought of 2001 / 2002

• The 2001 and 2002 droughts were unusually
  severe, spatially extensive and long-lasting
• 2001 national in extent
• - More severe in west than east
• Climatic evolution and persistence different
  from other Canadian droughts was difficult to
  predict and identify the cause.
• Multi-year drought (started in 1999 in parts of
  the prairies) compounded severity
• Losses in Agricultural Production of 2B (2002
  - Alberta Sask) - 3.6B for Canada
• Loss of GDP 3B (Alberta Sask) - 5.8B for
  Canada
• Areas like Northern Alberta Northern Sask had
  little experience with this type of event
  particularly vulnerable

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Adaptation

• history of water development small scale to
  large scale
• dugouts to Gardiner Dam to regional pipelines
• Agencies involved (railways (early) to Canada to
  provinces)
• Irrigation development

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Prairie Vulnerability Adaptation to
Drought (simple case of on-farm water supplies)

• Rural water supplies extremely vulnerable
• Rural water supply adaptation
• - constructed dugouts / small reservoirs
• - groundwater deep wells
• - rural water pipelines
• - pasture pipelines

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Agricultural Adaptation
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Irrigation in Canada
Province Prov Govt 2004 Estimates (Ha) Potential Irr (Ha) Potential Irrigated Areas as of Actual
British Columbia 121,408 182,113 150
Alberta 728,450 1,011,736 139
Saskatchewan 80,939 404,694 500
Manitoba 30,352 60,704 200
Ontario 60,704 202,347 333
Quebec 25,000 35,000 140
NB 500 575 115
NS 3,642 7,285 200
PEI 2,023 4,047 200
NL 45 136 300
Canada 1,053,065 1,908,637 181
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Water development projects for individuals and
communities begin in 1936. Farmers are paid up
to 50 for the construction of dugouts.
Reservoirs and irrigation works are built or
repaired in southwest Saskatchewan.
Eastend, Val Marie and West Val Marie dams are
completed, providing water for irrigation,
livestock and domestic uses
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Prairie Dugout

• For 70 years, designed for a 2 year
  supply-coping range
• Must provide 100 availability for livestock
• Stakeholder feedback Recent droughts have shown
  this design criteria is no longer appropriate
• Now consider that a 3 year supply design
  criterion is more appropriate

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• In 1943, construction was completed on a number
  of significant structures in Saskatchewan
  including
• Duncairn Dam on Swift Current Creek in
  southwestern Saskatchewan
• Control structures on Echo, Crooked and Round
  Lakes in the QuAppelle River system

In 1946, investigations for dam sites along the
Red Deer, South Saskatchewan, and St. Mary
Rivers and construction on the St. Mary
Irrigation Project began.
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In the spring of 1950, major flooding in the Red
River Valley and other areas in Manitoba, lead to
responsibility for the dikes and flood control
works along the Assiniboine River from Portage la
Prairie to Winnipeg being transferred to PFRA.
Canada and Manitoba sign the Saskatchewan River
Reclamation Project Agreement for diking and
draining to reclaim 100,000 acres in the Pasquia
area west of The Pas in 1953.
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The Buffalo Pound Water Supply Project starts
pumping water from the South Saskatchewan River
to Buffalo Pound Lake via the QuAppelle River in
1956.
The additional water provides a more secure
supply to Regina and Moose Jaw and opportunity
for economic development.
Opportunities - Kalium Solution Potash Mine and
SAFERCO Fertilizer Plant
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In 1963, Canada and Manitoba agree to build the
Shellmouth Dam on the Assiniboine River to
provide flood control and water conservation.
Construction began in 1965.
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On July 21, 1967, Prime Minister Pearson and
Premier Thatcher officially opened Gardiner Dam
(at that time Canadas largest earthfill dam)
signifying completion of the South Saskatchewan
River project (started in 1958).
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The SNBB studies, which were completed in 1972,
evaluate storage and diversion possibilities in
the Saskatchewan and Nelson River basins
including the investigation, design and costing
of 55 possible dams and 23 possible diversions.
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CV / CC Projections that would Impact the Water
Resource

• Our water resources are vulnerable
• Most of Canada would become wetter / warmer
  (less cold)
• opportunity
• Changes in rain / snow mix
• Changes in timing of precipitation events
• Longer agricultural growing season
• More extreme weather events
• Assumed increased rate of evaporation in many
  areas
• Deteriorating water quality

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CV / CC Indications for Prairie Water
Resources..
(Supply)

• Higher rates of evaporation (?) increasing
  losses in surface waters, including reservoir
  storage
• Changes in stream flow patterns
• (higher spring and lower summer flows)
• More frequent and severe droughts dry spells
• (Prairies, Southern Ontario, interior BC)
• Glaciers retreating

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CV / CC Indications for Prairie Water
Resources..
(Demand)

• Increasing demands for water across many
  communities/sectors due to warmer temperatures
• Increasing need for irrigation (currently the
  largest net consumer of water in Canada)
• Increasing population pressures independent of
  climate change

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CV / CC Implications for Prairie Water
Resources.. (Economic/Environmental/Societal)

• Increased pressure for water diversions /
  inter-basin transfers of water
• Impacts on economic activity and legal
  obligations (water availability / quality)
• Increasing costs for water treatment
• Increasing conflict around water allocations

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Prairie Vulnerability Adaptation to Drought
(Needs)

• Factor CC into planning / design
• Funding to improve infrastructure
• Better understanding of groundwater
• Improved water use efficiency
• Better seasonal climate predictions to help
  broaden the coping range
• Improve monitoring capability trend analysis
  (water and climate)

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Effective Water Resources Management into the
Future Opportunities

• Design to ensure efficient use of existing
  supplies (includes educating our clients)
• Support engagement of stakeholders all levels
  of government in identifying addressing the
  issues
• Promote multi-barrier approach to water
  treatment watershed as the first step (IWRM)
• Apply CC scenarios in design / development of
  new supplies no regrets option

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Opportunities(Contd)

• Integrate with social and natural sciences in
  addressing CC vulnerability of the water resource
• Consider the real value of water
• Cooperation shared government and private
  sector leadership role

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Opportunities (contd)

• role in providing tools to incorporate CC
  information for decision makers
• -develop better seasonal forecasts
• -develop appropriate CC scenarios that address
  hydrologic and meteorological data
  requirements
• -hydrologic analyses that include CC
• -support development of adaptation options
• -strengthen collaboration between departments
  and with the private sector

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Opportunities (contd)

• Develop and implement innovative technologies to
  facilitate adaptation
• Educate ourselves and our clients about CC
• Water is an integrator of communities in our
  society - an essential element that demands we
  work together to secure the resource
• will be Key in Addressing CC
  Vulnerability Issues

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Continued Adaptation
Water Supply
Water Treatment
Irrigation Efficiency
Watershed Management
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...And long-term strategies
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QUESTIONS?