Climate Change Adaptation Planning

Watershed Stewardship for a Changing Climate – Community-Based Climate Action

With support from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), SAW developed watershed-based climate change adaptation plans throughout Saskatchewan – for each watershed district, as well as a provincial-wide plan (see map). 

With future changes in precipitation (e.g. variability), temperature (e.g., maximum and minimum temperatures), and extreme events (e.g., droughts and floods), the ability of watersheds to provide water and other critical watershed services will be impacted. Regionally, communities need to understand what climate change issues that they face, and how they can proactively adapt.  

This adaptation planning process was designed to help build community capacity to adapt to climate change impacts and effects by bringing together community members and leadership to develop plans for adaptation to future climate change. 

Over the course of the project, committee members and attendees participated in various engagement meetings and activities to identify the local effects and impacts of climate change and discuss ways to adapt and become more resilient to these changes. We focused on natural systems, human health, cultural resources/economic activity, and community infrastructure.  

This project had the following objectives: 

  • Develop 6 climate-change adaptation plans across Saskatchewan’s entirety (5 regional district plans, and 1 provincial wide plan) that can aid communities to become more adaptive and resilient to climate-change related risks. 
  • Build capacity and provide education and awareness to youth, urban and rural communities, Indigenous communities, government, and industry about climate changes and demonstrate how we can work together to reduce climate change impacts.  
  • Develop and implement 6 climate adaptation demonstration sites that will showcase climate change adaptation Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) that rural and urban communities can adopt to reduce climate change impacts (e.g., cover cropping management, rotational grazing systems, floating treatment wetlands, etc.). Demonstration field days were organized for the public to tour and collect information. Professional videos were completed at each demonstration site and are available on SAW’s website and social media platforms for the public to access.  
  • Promote the outcomes of the plans to communities, government, Indigenous communities, and stakeholders.  
  • Provide completed watershed district–based climate change adaptation plans on the SAW and stakeholder websites. 

For any inquiries, please contact ccap@saskwatersheds.ca for more information. 


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Climate Change Adaptation Plans

North Watershed District Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Northwest Watershed District Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Northeast Watershed District Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Southwest Watershed District Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Southeast Watershed District Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Provincial Watershed District Climate Change Adaptation Plan

While Saskatchewan has a naturally variable semi-arid climate, climate model projections for the Canadian Prairies suggest warming temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme events. Agricultural producers and communities will need to build resiliency and adapt to changing climatic conditions.

With support from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), SAW will showcase a series of climate change adaptation demonstration sites. In the first video of this series, Saskatchewan Producer, Aaron Gray, and Dr. David Sauchyn, PARC – University of Regina, discuss the importance of adaptation and the benefits of best management practices (BMPs) that can be adopted to build resiliency. 

Floating Treatment Wetlands

Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTW) are artificial platforms that host native, emergent wetland plants to support their growth in deep water, where they typically wouldn’t grow.  This portable wetland ecosystem can filter nutrients, pollutants and settle sediment to the bottom of the pond resulting in improved water quality.

Floating Treatment Wetlands provide many benefits that include:

  • Capturing and filtering contaminants such as heavy metals, oils, pesticides and chemicals, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous.
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Providing habitat for wildlife – including pollinators.
  • Controlling aquatic growth and algae.
  • Reducing sludge and suspended solids.
  • Creating natural green space in communities.
Click here for more information

Forestry and Climate Resiliency

 

In September 2024, SAW partnered with Weyerhaeuser to hold a Climate Resiliency and Forestry workshop and tour in Hudson Bay at Weyerhaeuser’s Oriented Strand Board (OSB) mill and active operation sites. Workshop participants learned about the climate related challenges that the forestry industry faces, climate smart forestry, and the BMPs Weyerhaeuser has been adopting to ensure the long-term sustainability of the forest while remaining economically viable.

Rotational Grazing and Climate Resiliency

 

In this video, we discuss the practice of rotational grazing – a beneficial management practice where livestock are moved between pastures, or paddocks, for vegetation recovery and soil regeneration.  Rotational grazing not only boosts forage productivity and improves livestock health, but also enhances climate resiliency by sequestering carbon, increasing water infiltration and promoting biodiversity. 

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and a Changing Climate

Across Saskatchewan, communities are experiencing the impacts and effects of climate change through increased climate variability, including more frequent droughts, intense rainfall events, and shifting seasonal temperature extremes and patterns. These changes place pressure on watersheds, affecting water supply, ecosystem health, and community infrastructure.

Saskatchewan is home to more than 100,000 lakes and rivers – vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, recreation and local communities. Climate variability and extreme events threaten these waters, altering water temperature, ice cover, and local hydrology, and creating conditions that make it easier for aquatic invasive species to establish, spread and thrive.

Aquatic invasive species, or AIS, are non-native organisms that can cause harm to ecosystems, economies and human health. In Saskatchewan, species such as zebra and quagga mussels, as well as invasive aquatic plant species pose significant risks. Within Saskatchewan, observed impacts of climate change include increasing water temperatures, and extending the ice-free season – these changes can accelerate the life cycles of invasive species, and expand their potential range. Warmer waters can also stress native species, giving invaders a competitive advantage.

Early detection of AIS is one of our most effective tools. Monitoring and sampling are critical components of watershed stewardship, and preventing the spread begins with awareness, with every action we take on the water.

In this video, learn about monitoring and prevention for aquatic invasive species in a changing climate across Saskatchewan.

Town of Herbert – Drought Preparedness Planning

Hydrologic drought is a growing challenge across Saskatchewan. But with proactive planning, communities like Herbert are building resilience by protecting their water supplies, their economies, and their way of life. By planning ahead and working together, we can ensure sustainable water for future generations.

In the Town of Herbert, local leaders are taking action to develop a hydrologic drought preparedness plan – a proactive approach to managing water scarcity. Drought preparedness planning begins with understanding risk. This includes assessing local water sources, infrastructure, and historical drought conditions, along with future climate projections. By combining science with local knowledge, communities can identify where they are most vulnerable.

For Herbert, this meant evaluating current water supply and treatment systems, identifying potential pressure points, and determining how drought could impact residents, businesses, and essential services. By establishing a local drought indicator, the Town of Herbert can take early action, including conservation measures, operational adjustments, and communication strategies.

SAW’s Drought preparedness planning process helps strengthen municipal preparedness by establishing clear drought indicators thresholds, defining leadership roles and operational responsibilities, identifying community-specific drought indicators, and outlining community adaptation and mitigation actions. Structured plans are developed with the community and provincial organizations to provide actionable frameworks that enable communities to respond systematically rather than reactively.