SASKATCHEWAN — Farmers, lake residents and regulators view the same water through different lenses as the long-running debate over agriculture drainage, government oversight and water management resurfaces.
At the centre of the debate is the Water Security Agency (WSA), which regulates agricultural drainage across the province and investigates complaints.
"I think one of the greatest challenges that we're seeing in agricultural water management is that it has historically been quite divisive," said executive director agricultural water of management Krystal Tendler. "I think the conflict around the conversation of agricultural water management is preventing collaborative solutions."
From the Quill Lakes basin to Fishing Lake and other flood-prone regions, residents are questioning whether unapproved drainage is worsening flooding. Producers say they are being blamed for flooding when the real culprits, they say, is increasingly extreme weather and a water-management system that can take years to navigate.
Flooding raises questions about oversight and responsibility
For residents along Fishing Lake, the debate has become deeply personal.
Jan Palmer said when flood levels reached record levels in June, a group of residents organized a public meeting in Kuroki. In attendance were community members, representatives from the Water Security Agency (WSA), provincial and local elected representatives, and the Fishing Lake Watershed Association.
"We were astounded by the number of people who showed up in Kuroki on July 5th," Palmer said. "Unfortunately, almost two weeks later, we still have no answers." One of her top questions, "If responsibility for this work is shared among WSA, the Fishing Lake Watershed Authority and the RMs," said Palmer, "who has the ultimate authority and responsibility for maintaining the interconnected wetlands and channels and protecting Fishing Lake and its residents?"
Corrie White, executive director of the WSA's Science & Knowledge Branch, says, “Responsibility for the Fishing Lake outlet channel and downstream route is shared under the existing agreements. The Fishing Lake Watershed Association and local municipalities are responsible for identifying and carrying out local maintenance needs. While WSA provides technical support, regulatory oversight and funding support where appropriate, WSA does not have day-to-day responsibility for all channel maintenance.”
WSA says extreme weather, not drainage, driving flood risks
Tendler said Fishing Lake is considered a semi-closed basin with limited outlet capacity and that the challenges facing the lake are not solely the result of agricultural drainage.
"Agricultural drainage isn't the factor in years like this," Tendler said, pointing to extreme runoff and rainfall events across the watershed.
Tendler went on to say the agency does not approve drainage into Fishing Lake and has adopted a similar approach in closed basins such as the Quill Lakes watershed, where additional drainage approvals are generally not permitted because water entering the system has no adequate outlet.
Drainage versus water management
The Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association (SaskFSA) points out that much of the public discussion misses the distinction between drainage and water management.
SaskFSA executive director Candace Mitschke said responsible water management requires a watershed-scale approach rather than individual landowners acting independently.
"You can't just worry about your own problem," Mitschke said. "It's a network approach."
Mitschke acknowledged many members of the public struggle to understand the approval system and often view reports of unapproved drainage as evidence of broader problems.
Legacy infrastructure adds complexity
Mitschke said Saskatchewan's drainage network dates to government-led drainage initiatives that began in the 1920s and has been shaped by changing legislation and policies over time.
Part of the challenge, she said, is that Saskatchewan's drainage system includes decades-old infrastructure built under different government policies.
"Water management is kind of being treated like a hot potato. Like no one's really wanting to dig in and deal with it or they start digging in and dealing with it and then the government changes it," said Mitschke.
Producer groups point to historical drainage works that predate modern regulations. They say some systems originally developed under earlier government policies later became classified as unapproved as regulations evolved, adding another layer of complexity to current compliance efforts.
Mitschke and SaskFSA President Myles Thorpe noted that some drainage networks were originally encouraged or constructed through government-led programs before regulations evolved and approval requirements became more comprehensive. They believe a distinction should be made between legacy drainage infrastructure and newer unapproved drainage projects.
Approval delays frustrate landowners
The approval process itself is another source of frustration.
Tendler said the WSA approves drainage projects affecting roughly 1,000 quarter-sections annually but acknowledged that projects can take considerable time to complete.
According to Tendler, the agency has introduced changes aimed at reducing backlogs, including reforms to its Request for Assistance process implemented in 2024. She said the agency is also examining ways to modernize drainage regulation and move toward more outcome-based approaches.
The agency received 22 formal drainage complaints during the 2025-26 reporting period. Complaints trigger an investigation and can eventually lead to closures, orders or prosecution. Tendler said the WSA's preference is to achieve compliance rather than pursue punitive action.
Many landowners, however, remain frustrated with a system that often relies on neighbours filing complaints, questioning whether the current structure encourages conflict between neighbours rather than cooperation.
Mitschke said SaskFSA encourages landowners to work through issues collaboratively whenever possible and supports the use of qualified professionals to help mediate disputes.
Research aims to fill knowledge gaps
Producer Dwight Odelein farms near Quill Lake says healthy crops can remove significant amounts of moisture from the soil profile and pointed out the relationship between wetlands, drainage, flooding and water quality is more complicated than many people realize.
Meanwhile, producers such as Odelein contend that public discussions often overlook practical knowledge gained through farming.
"There's always your side, my side and what's really happening," Odelein said.
To help answer some of those questions, Thorpe is participating in a large research project examining groundwater movement, salinity, soil health, water quality and crop performance under different water-management scenarios.
The project includes weather stations, groundwater monitoring equipment, soil probes and comparisons between managed and unmanaged areas.
"We need to quantify it," Thorpe said. "I've seen it, but we need the numbers."
The project is designed to collect baseline data before and after drainage improvements are implemented. It would measure groundwater movement, salinity, soil health, crop performance and water use.
The research also reflects a broader effort launched through the Saskatchewan Drainage Extension Network, a collaboration involving producers, researchers, government representatives, municipalities and industry partners aimed at improving communication, research and public understanding of water management.
A debate with no easy answers
Despite their opposing viewpoints, most agreed the conversation is far from over.
Residents want homes, roads and lakes protected. Farmers want workable approvals and recognition of the challenges they face. Regulators want compliance and cooperation.
