Low river water levels spark questions over Lake Diefenbaker capacity

Users of the South Saskatchewan River are sounding the alarm over dangerously low water levels.

But questions now come to the surface as to Lake Diefenbaker’s capacity to support farming and irrigation, as well as a constant supply of drinking water for 60 per cent of the province.

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Dr. John Pomeroy, a director with the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Water Futures, says farmers should be able to get by based on the water level currently held in the reservoir.

“This year there was pretty good winter precipitation over a lot of central and west-central Saskatchewan, so the irrigation needs would be lower this year,” said Pomeroy.

“So I think even this year, it’s speculating a bit, but even with a full buildout of that irrigation, we probably wouldn’t have too much trouble this year.”

Global’s Gates Guarin has more in the video above.