Today, the Water Security Agency (WSA) provided an update to the spring runoff outlook for 2026. Overall, most of Saskatchewan can anticipate near to below normal runoff this spring.
WSA continued to closely monitor conditions across the province over the last month. As part of this effort, additional manual snow surveys were completed at 12 selected sites across Saskatchewan on April 9 and 10, 2026, supplementing ongoing monitoring efforts.
Survey results confirmed the accumulation of additional snow since March 1, particularly in central regions of the province. As a result, above normal runoff is expected across much of central Saskatchewan. Well above normal runoff is anticipated in east-central Saskatchewan, including areas around Hudson Bay and north of Yorkton and Wynyard.
In the Quill Lakes Basin, above normal snowpack is forecast to result in above normal runoff.
Snowmelt has finished in the southern portion of the Qu'Appelle River Basin. In northern areas of the basin, snowmelt began earlier but has slowed due to returning cold temperatures and remaining snow cover. All lakes within the Qu'Appelle River Basin are expected to remain in the normal operating ranges.
In the Churchill River Basin, runoff is expected to vary from below normal to above normal this spring.
Snow survey results also confirm that snowmelt and runoff were already underway in areas south of Yorkton and near the Quill Lakes, where snow cover had largely diminished. In contrast, areas north of Yorkton, north of Melfort and near Meadow Lake and Prince Albert continued to have well-above-normal snow present due to continued cold weather.
Overall, the survey confirms that snow cover persisted across central and northern Saskatchewan, while melt conditions had advanced further across southern areas.
Most major water supply reservoirs in southern Saskatchewan are at or above normal levels for this time of the year. The exceptions are McDougald and Harris, which are below normal levels.
The Water Security Agency continues to monitor basin conditions and manage Lake Diefenbaker accordingly. Lake Diefenbaker is currently above the median for this time of year but remains within the normal operating range.
Mountain snowpack remains well above normal and will be the main driver of May and June flows in the Saskatchewan River Basin, in conjunction with spring and summer rains. If these conditions persist, mountain runoff into Lake Diefenbaker is expected to be above normal.
In the Souris River Basin, reservoirs are projected to remain within normal operating ranges.
Long-range forecasts predict normal precipitation and warmer than normal temperatures across the entire southern part of Saskatchewan from May to July.
The Water Security Agency will continue to monitor and report on landscape conditions and water supply reservoirs to allow for timely response to changing conditions.
(Water Security Agency news release)
