The Saskatchewan River Basin

Canada has been blessed with relatively abundant supplies of fresh water. This can cause us to take our lakes and rivers for granted. David Schindler, renowned Canadian ecologist and educator, wants to issue a wakeup call. His studies of Canada's lakes and rivers have lead him to some disturbing conclusions about the future of our waterways that have implications for the Saskatchewan River.

Dr. Schindler's research indicates that the prairies face significant water supply issues. He points out that much of Canada's 'plumbing' is located in the north where it is not accessible and that even the water supply we can tap into is dwindling. Climate change will alter precipitation patterns across the prairies, and may lead to regional droughts. Taken in historical perspective, the 20th century was very wet on the prairies. The rainfall levels over the last 100 years can be considered a climatic aberration, and cannot be expected to continue into the future. Furthermore, global warming is causing the ancient glaciers to shrink at an alarming pace. The Saskatchewan Glacier, which is the source of the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River, receded an astounding 1.5 kilometres between 1924 and 2002. Decreased flows have already been observed in many rivers. Across the land large human withdrawals are further taxing the supply of fresh water.

What are the potential impacts on Lake Winnipeg? Decreased water quantity will affect water quality because it will result in a higher concentration of nutrients. 'Most people worry about doubling the input of nutrients because it will cause more algal blooms, but if you halve the volume of flow it has the same effect.' (Climate and Water Issues in the Athabasca River Basin: Presented by David Schindler) Knowing that the Saskatchewan River contributes a significant amount of the lake's total inflow (about 20%) and knowing that nutrient overloading is a serious threat to Lake Winnipeg, this is an issue we cannot afford to ignore. Water conservation combined with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions must become priorities.