Significant rainfall this week certainly didn’t help the situation at Big and Little Quill Lakes near Wynyard, Sask.
This is an area prone to flooding since the lakes are without a drainage point.
READ MORE: 4 communities under states of emergency as Sask. flooding situation improves
Between 35 and 40 millimetres of rain fell in the area over Monday and Tuesday, raising levels .05 metres, which is near the peak level seen this past May.
Hundreds of acres of farm land remain under water.
According to the Water Security Agency (WSA), the levels may continue to rise over the next few days if the amount of evaporation doesn’t keep up with inflows from recent rain.
Over the last 11 years, Big Quill Lake has risen seven metres and officials said if it rises another metre, it will start spilling into Last Mountain Lake, something that has never happened in modern times.
READ MORE: Province back-tracks on proposal to divert water to Last Mountain Lake
The Saskatchewan government is taking steps to deal with ongoing issues of unapproved drainage in the Quill Lakes, which officials said is contributing to the flooding issues in the area.
On Thursday, it was announced that the WSA will be cracking down on unauthorized drainage.
“Our government introduced new drainage regulations last fall and the Quill Lakes is a priority area where impacts to landowners around the lake need to be addressed,” said Herb Cox, the minister responsible for the WSA.
Under those regulations, drainage works must have an adequate outlet to be approved.
READ MORE: Salty Quill Lakes at risk of overflowing into Last Mountain
The Quill Lakes are not considered to be an adequate outlet as they are in a closed basin with no natural outlet.
“This is a very complex water management situation and, while there are no easy solutions to this issue, this is one step that will help us lower the lake level and prevent future flooding,” Cox said.
Landowners with unapproved drainage into the Quill Lakes have until Oct. 1, 2016 to shut those operations down, with WSA officials saying they will immediately focus on the largest unapproved drainage works causing the greatest impact.
Inspections will also take place to confirm unapproved work and ensure plans for closure take place, and orders of closure will be issued after Oct. 1 for those still in operation.
READ MORE: Flooding forces Sask. R.M. to close bridge between Quill lakes
The WSA will also be working with Ducks Unlimited Canada to eliminate or limit flows from their projects into Quill Lakes, including projects at Ponass Lake and Foam Lake.
WSA will work with Ducks Unlimited to re-establish the naturally higher water levels in these wetlands to provide for additional storage and prevent more water from flowing into the Quill Lakes.
With files from Wendy Winiewski
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