A below normal spring runoff is forecast for most of southern Saskatchewan unless there is well above precipitation over the next three months.
The Water Security Agency (WSA) said two factors went into their forecast.
The first was the dry conditions in the summer and fall of 2018. The agency said soil moisture conditions were dry at freeze-up due to extremely low rainfall across most southern regions.
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The other is below normal precipitation so far this winter.
The WSA is anticipating some agricultural water supply shortages again this summer based on the current runoff forecast, and said these issues will likely intensify and spread over southern Saskatchewan.
It could also create surface supply issues for municipalities and irrigators if dry conditions persist into the summer months, the agency cautioned.
There is a band through the northern agriculture region and southern boreal forest where near normal runoff is expected based on current conditions.
Below normal runoff is also expected in the far north.
The WSA said it will aggressively store water during the snowmelt runoff period to ensure water supplies are adequate and lake levels desirable for recreation use.
WSA will issue its next spring runoff forecast in March.
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