A record 1,481 quarter sections of land were brought into drainage compliance during the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA).
Farmers in the province came together to more than double last year’s numbers.
Over 90 per cent were approvals that occurred through voluntary compliance, with 118 coming via closures.
“Farmers are working hard to find effective and balanced solutions that benefit producers and communities while mitigating downstream flooding and protecting our environment,” Dustin Duncan, the minister responsible for WSA, said in a press release.
“More and more producers are recognizing the increased value of organized and responsible drainage for their land and farming operations.”
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WSA officials highlighted the Vipond Creek Network project, east of Glenavon, to co-ordinate water management in the area.
This joint-application was signed by 47 landowners, and included over 17,000 acres across 113 quarter sections.
The project includes 55 flow control structures to reduce downstream peak flows and flooding potential within the Moose Mountain Creek Watershed.
Over 440,000 acres of land have been approved since the launch of the agricultural water management strategy in 2015, according to WSA.