Lake levels in southern Sask. will be OK this summer: WSA

Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency (WSA) is assuring residents of the province that most of the lakes on the Qu’Appelle River system will be within their desirable summer operating ranges.

In a media release Friday, the WSA said Buffalo Pound, Last Mountain, Pasqua, Echo, Mission, Katepwa, Crooked and Round lakes may appear to be lower compared to previous years, but they’re within their normal ranges.

Crooked Lake is expected to be at its desirable operating level by mid-June.

The only lake that isn’t at its normal level is Round Lake, which is projected to be about 85 centimetres (33.5 inches) below that mark.

The WSA noted that lower-than-normal snowmelt into the Qu’Appelle River and dry conditions in the southern part of the province could have affected the lake levels, but the WSA counteracted that with what it called “additional spring management.”

Lake Diefenbaker is experiencing lower-than-normal inflows this spring due to low runoff into the South Saskatchewan River and high water use for irrigation in southern Alberta.

While the lake is currently near its normal level, outflows are being reduced to maintain the water supply and reduce the chances that the lake’s summer water level will be too low.

Outflows from the Gardiner Dam will be kept near 70 cubic metres per second over the summer unless conditions in the headwater areas change. That would be a similar outflow to that which was maintained through the past three summers.