Water Security Agency offers help to Sask. producers

The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) is stepping in to help producers in the province, as they grapple with drought conditions. The WSA announced on Monday, it will make water and vacant land for feed available to farmers and ranchers.

“It’s really a one-government approach across ministries, across agencies to try and support producers in what is another challenging year,” Jeremy Cockrill, the minister responsible for the WSA said.

Cockrill told CTV News the WSA owns and operates 72 dams, as well as agricultural land across the province.

Producers are not required to have a water rights licence when hauling from a municipal supply, but they a required to have one when getting water from a WSA reservoir and other provincial water supplies. The WSA said it will prioritize and issue producers’ water rights applications within 48 hours or less.

“We really encourage producers, whatever area of the province you're in, reach out to us (at) our client service center, and we'd be happy to see if we have some of that vacant land available for feed in your area,” he said.

Tim Oleksyn, a cattle and grain producer near Shellbrook, said while he hasn’t experienced drought conditions this season, many of his colleagues are struggling.

“Straw becomes a commodity of feed for people we talked to that are in dire straits,” Oleksyn said.

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Environment Canada has classified the majority of the province as abnormally dry, under moderate drought.

According to the latest crop report, the drought has impacted crop yields, and harvest has begun in the driest areas of the province. As of July 20, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities reported 20 RMs have declared a state of emergency because of the drought.

Oleksyn advises producers experiencing drought to take a deep breath and be patient.

“Our operation is a bit more mature. We've gone through this, not just one year, a handful of years in our lifetime, and we're still here,” he said.