Monitoring and Assessment

Rural Water Quality Advisory Program

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority delivers the Rural Quality Advisory Program that has, for many years, improved the quality and safety of private water supplies in rural Saskatchewan, the Authority samples and analyzes water from private water supplies, and advises on the health and aesthetic implications of the analysis. Advice is provided on beneficial management practices proven to protect and improve raw well or surface source water.

For further information on this program, refer to PR -200, Rural Water Quality Advisory Program, which is available under Publications / Water Management / Program Profiles on this website.

In the fall of 2008, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, and the Saskatoon Health Region cooperated to assess drinking water risk and explore risk management options with the village of Hepburn. The objective of the study was to assess the drinking water quality of private and public water sources within the village, in order to inform the public and decision makers of the potential health risks acsociated with their water supplies. In all, 67 privately-owned water sources and 25 publicly-regulated water sources were sampled.

This report summarizes the findings of the water quality analyses. You can download the full report here.

Biological Assessments

Shoreline, rangeland and Piping Plover habitat assessments were completed on Willowbunch, Big Muddy, Fife and Chaplin Lakes in the Missouri Coteau, and on all basins in the Manitou-Reflex area. These assessments increased understanding of habitat requirements, and how bird populations are influenced by agriculture and habitat conservation programs. Information from these assessments was used in the development of Conservation Site Plans to guide current and future habitat enhancement activities.