WC138 SeptOct 2024 - Flipbook - Page 12
LEGAL
ject under the Impact Assessment Act. The request to designate it
as such was put forth by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous
Nations. Impact assessment is a planning and decision-making
tool used to assess the positive and negative environmental effects
of proposed projects and the impacts to Indigenous groups and
rights of Indigenous peoples. In considering the aforementioned
analysis report, the Minister of Environment and Climate
Change determined that the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects
did not warrant designation under the Impact Assessment Act as
they were still in the conceptual and early planning stages.
Environmental organizations in Saskatchewan are still calling
for an environmental assessment on the project, listing some of
the following environmental risks as reasons for a greater examination of the irrigation project.
Water quality
Moving water for agriculture can change the composition of rivers and lakes, as excess run off from irrigated fields contain added
nutrients, such as nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which degrades water
quality and can lead to toxic algal blooms. This is of particular
concern for the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects, as the water
will flow through channels leading to Buffalo Pound Lake and
then into the Qu’Appelle lakes system, both of which already
struggle with poor water quality and frequent algal blooms.
Water quantity
Lake Diefenbaker is fed by the South Saskatchewan River, which
is fed by snow and glacier melt from the Alberta Rockies. Due
to climate change, glaciers have been melting at an accelerated
rate, meaning that the quantity of water that will flow into Lake
Diefenbaker will be reduced as the glaciers recede. Moreover,
water levels at Lake Diefenbaker have already been dropping in
recent years, leading to concerns that there may not be enough
water for irrigation expansion and all other uses. For example,
the WSA reported that the 2023 inflows made up only 28
per cent of the historical average spring and summer inflows.
Further, evaporative water loss is a risk for the project, given the
large network of reservoirs and ditches that will be built to deliver water for irrigation purposes.
Saskatchewan River Delta
Environment Canada contributed to the analysis conducted by
the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and highlighted the
potential impact to the Saskatchewan River Delta, which is the
largest inland water delta in North America. It spans Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba, forming various wetlands and is a
key carbon sink due to its vast peatlands. The Saskatchewan River Delta is also home to hundreds of species of animals, plants,
insects, and other living creatures.
The Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects could adversely affect
this area by changing the amount and timing of water flow, thus
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degrading wetlands and impacting the natural movement of
sediment. Concern surrounding the health of the river delta
and reduced water flow has been reiterated by multiple conservation and environmental groups, including the Cumberland
House Cree Nation who are located within the Delta.
Grasslands
Another environmental risk is the destruction of native grasslands as new lands for irrigated crop farming are created. In
addition to storing carbon and controlling floods, grasslands
provide habitat for endangered species such as the burrowing
owl and migratory birds. This concern was also raised by Environment Canada, as they noted converting the land is likely
to have a detrimental effect on the already declining grassland
and migratory bird populations.
The Environmental Assessment and Stewardship branch
of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment has not yet
undertaken a review of the Project under The Environmental
Assessment Act. The Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects are
currently in preparation for environmental assessments and
studies. Still, there is much technical data that has yet to be
collected before a thorough analysis can be conducted.
Protecting drinking water
Two thirds of the residents in Saskatchewan rely on Lake
Diefenbaker for their drinking water. In response to concerns
expressed by citizens, the WSA stated that they reviewed 88
years of flow data and found that there is approximately a
200,000-acre-foot buffer between the average water availability
of Lake Diefenbaker and the entire irrigation project’s estimated need. Despite this, protecting drinking water in Saskatchewan remains an important consideration given the reduced
inflow of water in recent years, and the impact that climate
change will have on water levels in the future.
To ensure that there is enough water to go around, certain
protections should be put in place to mitigate risk and create
water security throughout the province. For example, in years
of drought where there are low inflows, restrictions could be
put on irrigation to reduce the amount of water being used.
In addition, the WSA can reduce outflows from Lake Diefenbaker so as to conserve the reservoir and allocate it as drinking
water to those who rely on it.
To conclude, more analysis and studies will be done as the
Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects progress, but of utmost
importance is that the project is sustainable for all users of
Lake Diefenbaker. The Saskatchewan Government, together
with the WSA, must consult and engage with First Nations,
environmental conservation groups and other stakeholders to
ensure that there is a balance between the economic prosperity
of Saskatchewan, environmental protection and the conservation of drinking water.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
