Varied rainfall across the province has led to a variety of situations with water recovery in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and other water bodies. That’s the word from the Water Security Agency in its report for July. Lakes and reservoir levels across most of Saskatchewan approach normal. Spring rains have led to improvements in surface water, but some areas are still drier than usual, according to the Agency.

East central areas of the province have seen higher than normal precipitation which has led to generally wetter conditions that have improved somewhat into early summer. The North Saskatchewan River saw higher than average flows, largely due to heavy rainfall events in Alberta. Flows on the Saskatchewan River system are expected to remain high but drop closer to normal or below normal as the summer progresses. 

Meanwhile Lake Diefenbaker has seen some welcome intake due to increased precipitation in Alberta along with one significant rain event. Water levels had been uncharacteristically low leading to a delay in the startup of the Riverhurst Ferry. Increased inflows are starting to help with those low lake levels. 

In the Qu’Appelle Watershed and lake systems, the report states that most lakes, except for Round Lake, are near the top of their summer ranges and are expected to maintain water levels. Areas in and around Humboldt are projected at near normal or slightly below normal water levels. The full report is available at saskatchewan.ca.