Drainage is a topic again being discussed in Saskatchewan.

[bgmb]

I know one thing the more and the faster we get the liquid poison to Hudson bay the better.

[Wheatking]

No, just data from a credible source proving that all of Saskatchewan has had double normal precipitation over the last 15 years. On second thoughts - don't waste your time, I know you have better things to do and we all know it was a ridiculous claim.

So I went on environment Canada's website and got the historical rainfall from 96 to present. I know my methodology might not be bang on but its 12:30AM and I am not doing it over. Anyways I totaled the yearly rainfall for the weather station at Leroy, I did not include snowfall in the precip totals, and looking back I maybe should have but its late and IDGAF anymore.

So anyways the avg rainfall from 1996 to 2005 was 310MM or just over 12 inches. From 2006 to 2016 it was 380MM or 15". So a 20% increase in rainfall over the past decade. The most yearly rain that Leroy has received was 520MM in 15. I know for a fact that other areas have received much more rain, as we where over 30" for 3 years in a row for 10, 11, and 12.

To say that rainfall has doubled over time is a bit of hyperbole(but not far off in some instances), but to say it has not increased substantially is just asinine. The area I used as an example is just on the border of the extremely heavy rainfall areas of the past decade, you go north, east, and south east and the rain fall totals get much worse. Maybe you can total up the numbers for some other RM's in your spare time. Perhaps when you use the whole province as an avg, rainfall hasn't increased that much, but in certain RM's it has increased to the point of disaster.

I guess one way to tell how much ditching is to blame would be to take the avg rainfall increase in % and compare that to the % water volume increase in the lake. It might not be an exact correlation, but if 100% of the rainfall ends up in the lakes from the basin, then maybe drainage does play a part. I would be curious to see what rainfall the quill lakes basin can get in a season and have that equal evaporation of the lakes.

I am not sure if this is urban legend but I thought the quill lakes where looking for water in the mid 90's.

This is a very difficult subject, but this I do know; Our water table is at the surface with every slough and low lying area full of water, so even if we didn't ditch 1" of rain would still equal 1" of runoff.

[bgmb]

I think you are bang on. Actually if you think about it drainage of water in the fall should be beneficial as it would make room for spring water. So really if the water regulators were concerned about spring flooding they would encourage drainage of full potholes in the fall.

[sumdumguy]

C&Ds talk about the adequate outlet..... but unless you live beside the ocean or maybe a Great Lake, someone is getting the water or it has to run through their property. Ask yourself if the philosophy of the Sask Watershed Authoritie's C&D projects match your idea of drainage. I can honestly say it doesn't match mine. Don't we all just want to get rid of it NOW! I have land that creating C&D works on would be as onerous as the potholes that are there now.... either I work around a pothole or a drainage ditch.... pick my poison.


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This is just north of the community I live by. .... we have it alot better than this but sometimes there just isn't anywhere to put the water..... pot hole country. Our land is higher and drier and better drained but not as good quality as this stuff. We have fewer obstacles, is easier to farm, but not as productive(slum of the Ghetto).

There's a lot of pot holes on those fields. Is there no way to join them up and drain them? Guess not, if there was a way they would have been drained, to answer my own question. But like Gressfarmer says, there must be something that would grow there and soak up some of those depressions. is alkalinity a problem?

[SASKFARMER3]

Now their is a real good idea. I would love to pump my main sloughs dry every fall and send them down the river then if the snow is huge they fill oh well i have another year with no land but if its a winter like this then i can seed some and get it back in production.

Grass why even comment your so full of shit your not even funny any more.

Excess rain caused this not some fairy sprinkling fairy dust or justin trudeau or magic beans or any other magical thing it was RAIN. You moron.

[dmlfarmer]

I think you are bang on. Actually if you think about it drainage of water in the fall should be beneficial as it would make room for spring water. So really if the water regulators were concerned about spring flooding they would encourage drainage of full potholes in the fall.

bgmb: Your suggestion has a lot of merit, provided all the drainage is controlled so that in the spring the water is released slowly so it does not cause flooding at anytime, anywhere downstream. If the ditches are not controlled on all the potholes, then you have made the problem even worse as now there is no storage of water at all any year, just as if every pothole was full to the brim every year. It is the velocity of the drainage as much as the volume of drainage that results in flooding.

Unfortunately, your solution likely will not work as what farmer is willing to dig a ditch only to then have to spend more money to put in controls in the ditch so he cannot drain the water until there is no risk of flooding downstream, which may be later than his seeding date.

[farmaholic]

You are absolutely right dml. In some cases by the time down stream is ready for it its too late. And how much property does it have to cross and people does it affect before it gets to it's final destination? The starting point and final destination have different agendas. Starting point wants it gone now and final destination only when they can handle it.

I am not against drainage but mark my words, C&D projects probably don't fit people's "perception" of drainage. I guess the Sask Water Security's agenda and goal is to attempt to make it fair for everyone involved.....those giving and those receiving.

[checking]

"how about you seed your lowest land that floods worst to grass this would use up a lot of excess water"

Klause is right. How do you get to that stage? The above is just backwards dumb "gas" logic.

If you're flooding, and it isn't getting better, you really need to seed your dry land around the flooded areas to grass. Get it established, and hope it's enough to stop the growing season rains from running through it and refilling your low areas. If it does stop the runoff, your flooded low areas will eventually evaporate off, and next season, or two seasons you stand a chance to establish a canary grass on your lowest land.

How do I know that this is the only way it will work? I've done it on some of my worst flood prone quarters.

From there, it's a crap shoot, if you decide to remove the higher land buffer grass for cropping purposes.

[dykercaseih]

Come on guys give your head a shake and wake the hell up. Man these sites are pathetic how the same people comment on situations that they have no idea about but are experts in the field of solving everything. For those of you that don't know the Quill Lakes area is relatively a flat land parcel. This talk about seeding grass to fix a problem area isn't a realistic solution to anything. What are you going to seed 2.2 million acres to fix a rainfall problem.....

If your north of the lake the last 6 years your totals have easily doubled and in some cases 4 times over. Last three years if your south of the lake your totals have easily doubled. The water shed has closed down any ditching of any kind into this basin, this group also doesn't have a clue how to rectify the problem. If you would be in meetings with some of the so called 5 year masters degree water people then you would know why the likes of grassy's kind doesn't translate over into the realms of reality.
These people are asking people to block ditching and hold back 10-15 percent water on their land as a way to resolve the situation. Phone Dwight his number is on the text pages, he will tell you when they surveyed his land that it isn't even feasible or doable to even try and implement these guys strategies. Surveyors are saying I don't know what the government is thinking cause this isn't even possible to do.

I have seen it on my own land where you seed early and establish a crop you have somewhat of a chance to fend off the 3-5 inch 2 day rains we have been getting.. The land that has held water back and is later to seed well let me tell you, that land is now losing 10-15 percent to more drowned out potholes every year. Guess what evaporation doesn't have a chance to take that water up, you need a crop sucking up 18 inches a year to give yourself a fighting chance... So when it rains that land just runs off instantly as ground cant take anything up... Its heading downstream

This area is the only place in sasky that doesn't Technically have a place for its water to reach the ocean. Its in a different category of f ucked up due mainly to government being asleep at the wheel and not asking Manitoba 5 years ago if they would take some of this water.

So for all you experts that have all the solutions maybe pipe it down.. Of any poster on this site Saskfarmer portrays to a T what is actually going on, in our area, his, and abroad.. The Guy calls a spade a spade.
This cycle is most certainly breaking people financially and emotionally.. One poster in general is Freewheat, I know exactly the shit storm that individual faced. Could you guys not see it in his tone he was emotionally done and you got guys telling the guy no you never got 40 inches of rain!! Just arrogant!! Sickening really. Larry Weber reached out to the guy cause you know what he is smart and a true leader... You can tell the people on this site who have been in a sports or business team setting and those that wouldn't last a day in a dressing room or board room....

But guess what, looks like the jet stream has moved about 150 miles south..... So for you new guys in the heart of the jet stream dumping path I suggest you learn fast what 40 inches can mean to your soil. Rosetown got a taste of it last year, how do you think that went over????

[sumdumguy]

You are absolutely right dml. In some cases by the time down stream is ready for it its too late. And how much property does it have to cross and people does it affect before it gets to it's final destination? The starting point and final destination have different agendas. Starting point wants it gone now and final destination only when they can handle it.

I am not against drainage but mark my words, C&D projects probably don't fit people's "perception" of drainage. I guess the Sask Water Security's agenda and goal is to attempt to make it fair for everyone involved.....those giving and those receiving.

Farmaholic, did you ever fly over the area between Lewvan and Regina? Without A, B, C ditches that whole area would be one big swamp. Not saying this type of coordinated effort would work for every area but there was enough slope to take that water to Wascana Creek. Maintenance is minimal now that the banks are stable.

[SASKFARMER3]

So the whole area south of Winnipeg would drain naturally in spring run off and be ready to seed without any man made structures. Just saying.

Grass around sloughs was a option in 2000 but today ha ha ha ha

[bgmb]

No doubt, Some grass guys think they are morally superior to the crop farmer. Well sew the whole country down to grass and put cattle on it and we will see how our western economy does. Plus there is no way at todays land prices it makes any sense to seed grass on land that can be drained or improved. Its called wealth creation a concept that some dont understand.

[newguy]

in the 80s the farmers north of yorkton told me everything south of #1 hyway should all be grass. Way to dry to grain farm.Lots of marginal grain land went back to grass and the good dirt was grain farmed.Not every acre has the same purpose.

[Flatlander]

Your right web is a peach. Gives good advice to. When some of these guys that wouldn't make it a day in the locker room got to me he advised to give myself a treat. I heard it and don't let the *%% holes the bs get to me. It's just noise. I don't know sf3, but he does call a spade a shovel and hits the nail on the head almost every swing. I'll just close by saying if my cup is running over and you pour yours into mine, what happens? Think about it and don't listen to bullshit.

[SASKFARMER3]

Good point flat lander

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Good experiment and yes it over flows and moves down stream. So science works.

have a great day.