For the past two years, the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) has partnered with the Water Security Agency (WSA) to complete Hydrologic Drought Response Plans for communities whose drinking water could potentially be at risk.  In 2023, WSA identified 75 Saskatchewan communities at high risk of hydrologic drought. 

Hydrologic drought occurs when long-term droughts reduce water levels in reservoirs, lakes and rivers threatening community water supplies. Consecutive years of hydrologic drought challenges a community’s ability to supply water to its residents and businesses.  
 

Completing a hydrologic drought response plan allows your community to build resiliency to reduce the impacts of hydrologic drought and prepare for future droughts. By completing a Drought Response Plan, your community will be better prepared to respond quickly and systematically to the specific challenges that droughts cause. The completed plan will include steps required to declare a drought, roles and responsibilities of community leaders including elected officials, town administration, water infrastructure operators, and fire officials, and a drought indicator for your community’s water resource needs. The plan also outlines drought impacts and concerns of the community and specific adaptation measures for those impacts. 

SAW has completed hydrologic Drought Response Plans for the Town of Cabri, Town of Craik, Town of Herbert, Town of Hudson Bay and the Village of Vanguard (see examples below), and is currently completing plans for the Cities of Estevan and Weyburn.  

What is drought? 

Drought conditions occur when there are periods of abnormally dry weather that deplete water resources required for human and environmental needs. There are four main types of droughts: meteorological, agricultural, hydrologic, and socio-economic drought.   

Meteorological drought is a precipitation deficit. When dry conditions continue soil moisture becomes depleted and droughts progress into agricultural drought. Further dry conditions develop into hydrologic droughts. Hydrologic drought is when water supply levels (lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, and groundwater) are lowered by long precipitation deficits. Hydrologic drought can affect access to drinking water for communities. Socio-economic drought occurs when droughts are so severe that there are broad economic consequences from water shortages.  [keep drought types graphic here] 

Next steps? 

SAW is reaching out to multiple communities across Saskatchewan to see which communities would like to participate in potential future drought preparedness planning. 

If your community is interested in participating or for more information, please contact SAW’s Water Resources Coordinator, Hannah Phillips via email: h.phillips@saskwatersheds.ca or phone: 306-681-4094