Hydrology and Water Resources of Saskatchewan

© Centre for Hydrology, 117 Science Place University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan February 2005There is little in the natural environment, economy and society of Saskatchewan that is not intimately tied to and sustained by the flow and storage of water. Nowhere else in Canada does the lack or excess of water cause such widespread concern, nor are there many Canadian environments subject to greater seasonal change in precipitation and surface-water storage. Most major landforms of Saskatchewan were created by the deposition and erosion of sediments and rock by water and ice during the glacial and immediate postglacial periods. Saskatchewan’s contemporary hydrology determines the type and location of natural vegetation, soils, agriculture, communities and commerce. However, the scarcity, seasonality and unpredictability of the province’s water resources have proved critical impediments to the productivity of natural ecosystems and to sustainable settlement and economic activity. The hydrology of Saskatchewan is marked by several distinctive characteristics that govern the behaviour of water as a resource in the province (Gray, 1970): i) The extreme variability of precipitation and runoff results in frequent water shortages and excesses with respect to natural and human storage capacities and demand. ii) The seasonality of water supply is manifest in fall and winter by the storage of water as snow, and lake and ground ice, in early spring by rapid snowmelt resulting in most runoff, and in late spring and early summer by much of the annual rainfall. iii) The aridity and gentle topography result in poorly developed, disconnected and sparse drainage systems, and surface runoff that is both infrequent and spatially restricted. iv) The land cover and soils exert an inordinate control on hydrological processes because of small precipitation inputs and limited energy for evaporation and snowmelt. v) The flows in the major rivers of the southern half of the province are largely derived from the foothills and mountains in Alberta. In dry years, arable agriculture can fail over large parts of the province, whilst in wet years, flooding has caused widespread damage to rural and urban infrastructure. Climate change may increase the incidence of both drought and flooding, with earlier spring thaws and increased interannual and interseasonal variability of temperature and precipitation (Covich et al., 1997; Cutforth et al., 1999, Herrington et al., 1997). Changes to the seasonal timing of precipitation can have very severe effects on agriculture and ecosystems; runoff to water bodies and replenishment of groundwater are primarily supplied by spring snowmelt, growth of cereal grains is related to the quantity of rainfall falling between May and early July, maturing and timely harvesting of crops are dependent upon warm dry weather in mid to late summer, and spring runoff is governed by soil moisture reserves in the preceding fall and snowfall the preceding winter (de Jong and Kachanoski, 1987). Saskatchewan’s water resources are vulnerable, as there is little local runoff to the single greatest water resource of the southern prairies, the South Saskatchewan River, which derives overwhelmingly from the Rocky Mountains. Water supplies in the Alberta portion of the South Saskatchewan River system are approaching full apportionment in dry years and the uncertainty imposed by climate change impacts on runoff generation in the mountains makes managing the river increasing difficult. Local water bodies (streams, sloughs, dugouts) are fed by groundwater or small surface drainages, and little runoff is provided by most land surfaces within the ‘topographic catchment’. The effect of soils and vegetation on Saskatchewan hydrology is profound because of the interaction of snow, evaporation and vegetation. In the southern Prairies, water applied from rain or snowmelt to summer-fallowed fields contributes inordinately to runoff, whereas continuously cropped fields, grasses and trees undergo greater infiltration to soils and hence greater evaporation. In the North, evergreen forest canopy and root structures promote infiltration of rainfall or snowmelt to soils and subsequent evaporation. There is much greater runoff and streamflow in boreal forest drainage basins with large cleared areas. This chapter will discuss the key physical aspects of Saskatchewan’s hydrology and water resources, focussing on its drainage basins and the contribution of runoff to streams and lakes within them, its major rivers and their flows, water supply pipelines and river diversions, prairie hydrology, boreal forest hydrology, groundwater and an assessment of the future. Because of its sub-humid, cold region hydrology and low population, water quality concerns in Saskatchewan are primarily related to algal growth in dugouts, and a few cases of contaminated groundwater or immediate downstream effects from sewage outflows, rather than widespread diffuse-source pollution; this chapter will therefore focus on water quantity rather than quality

Decentralized Environmental Governance: A reflection on its role in shaping Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania

This research article published by Tropical Conservation Science, Vol.8 (4), 2015Decentralised environmental governance has become a catchy solution to environmental problems caused by the failure of traditional centralised environmental governance. It promises to transfer power and authority, improve efficiency, equity, accountability, and inclusion of local people who were previously excluded by the command and control model. This paper examines the efficacy of decentralised environmental governance as an alternative approach to wildlife conservation in Tanzania. We analyse the policy and legal framework for Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Tanzania over the past two decades as a case study on current practice and its implications. We find that despite the rhetoric of community-based conservation (CBC), the wildlife industry remains heavily under state control, while the promises of CBC remain elusive. Questioning the effectiveness of decentralised environmental governance through CBC, we recommend that actors return to the drawing board and re-negotiate their positions, interests, power and authority if meaningfully decentralised environmental governance is to be achieved

Levels of community participation and satisfaction with decentralized wildlife management in Idodi-Pawaga Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania

This research article published by Taylor & Francis Online, 2017Participatory approaches to conservation are viewed as a plausible alternative to the old ‘fortress conservation’ approach. The design and implementation of these approaches in developing countries have tended to embrace community participation through decentralized governance mechanisms in the past three decades. However, sustainable conservation approaches that maintain community livelihoods while conserving biodiversity are challenged with meeting both objectives. In addressing this challenge, little attention has been given to an empirical analysis of community’s satisfaction levels on how they participated in the design and implementation of this approach. In this article, we use a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative data to examine levels of satisfaction and participation of local communities in the Idodi-Pawaga Wildlife Management Area (WMA), south-western Tanzania. We find that social economic factors (e.g. age, household size, gender, number of years living in the same location and participation/non-participation) influence, in different ways, the satisfaction levels of community’s participation towards the WMA creation. Due to inadequate participation, we find that the WMA design and implementation process failed from the beginning to actively involve the local communities and this has resulted in the near absence of the promised economic benefits from wildlife conservation. We suggest that participation should go beyond the simple information sharing to actively engage the local communities in key planning activities from the beginning of any WMA programme. It is also important to take into consideration their levels of satisfaction with the process of decision-making if meaningful decentralized governance is to be achieved

Indigenous knowledge on development and management of shallow dug wells of Dodoma Municipality in Tanzania

This research article published by Springer Nature Switzerland AG., 2018Dodoma city, central Tanzania, seats in a semi-arid region of East Africa with limited rains and surface water resources. Consequently, the area largely depends on shallow and deep aquifers for its freshwater needs. Owing to harsh climatic conditions, chronic lack of year-round surface water bodies and, limited development of water distribution infrastructures, over year’s local people have nurtured, developed and, passed on important indigenous knowledge (IK) on exploiting and managing shallow aquifers (SAs). However, there is no clear documented administrative plans for the SAs and the roles of IK, which is widely practised in developing SDWs and managing SAs, are not properly documented. This study intended to assess the extent of shallow dug wells (SDWs) utilization and contribution of IK on management of SAs of indigenous people of Dodoma Municipality. The methods followed include critical feld observations, measurements and, focus group discussions done during both the dry season (Sep.–Oct. 2013) and wet season (Dec. 2013–Feb. 2014). The results show that SDWs occur widely in the city, particularly in the suburbs, where they often serve as the only sources of freshwater and heavily dependent by the populace. It is clear that there is rich IK on management of SAs including on groundwater exploration, digging, water allocation, pricing, and even on water quality and, water treatment skills. The aforementioned IK clearly contribute to water sufciency to the populace and general management of groundwater such as enhancing recharge mechanisms where about 1% of local rainfall is recharged through a network of SDWs compared to~ 5–10% that is naturally being recharged by rainfall through the vadose zone. Thus, as much as the current policy framework and groundwater managers do not recognize the roles of IK and contributions of SDWs as key water sources, it is clear that IK contributes to the groundwater management and SDWs already support large part of the society. While it is globally appreciated that vital skills on SDWs management are vanishing, local people in Dodoma still retain them and should, therefore, be preserved. It is further recommended that IK are strengthened, improved and most importantly, incorporated in the local water resources management plans that already advocate on integrated approaches but which clearly ignores the IK and the local people’s eforts to explore and manage water resource, particularly SAs

Origin and mechanisms of high salinity in Hombolo Dam and groundwater in Dodoma municipality Tanzania, revealed

This research article published Springer Nature Switzerland AG.,2017The Hombolo dam (HD), in central Tanzania, is a shallow reservoir characterized by high salinity that limits its use for human activities. The origin of the salinity, mechanisms of reaching and concentrating in the dam remain unclear. These were assessed using hydrogeochemical facies, water type evolutions and mapping. The source of HD salinity was identified to be shallow groundwater (SG) and runoff from a seasonal floodplain with NaCl-rich lithological materails, along Little Kinyasungwe River that feeds the dam. The NaCl-rich lithological units, about 5–7 km upstream of the dam, were highly concentrated with NaCl to the extent that the local community was commercially separating table salt from them. The physicochemical parameters from these NaCl-rich lithological materials were well represented in HD and nearby groundwater sources, which suggests active water interactions. Water type evolution and surface hydrology assessments clearly showed that SG in the salty-floodplain was influenced by evaporation (ET) and was periodically carried to the HD. Clearly; HD water had high chemical similarity with the nearby SG. This agrees with previous studies that HD is partly fed by the local aquifer. However, this is the first attempt at mapping its physical origin. The origin of HD salinity was further supported by the spatial distribution of electrical conductivity (EC), where very high EC (up to 21,230 μScm−1) was recorded in SG within the NaCl-rich lithological unit while water sources far away from the NaCl-rich materials had much lower EC values. Thus, the study disagrees with previous conclusions that HD salinity was sorely due to high dam surface ET but is primarily due to geological reasons. Comparisons of HD with a nearby Matumbulu dam (MD), another earthen dam in climatologically similar settings, reveals that MD water was less saline/mineralised. This further shows that HD high salinity is most likely a geologic phenomenon, but local climatic factors, namely high ET, decreasing rainfall and warming trends are likely to have concentrated the salts further. Although HD is widely/ideally used for grape vine irrigation, it was clearly revealed that its prolonged usage would potentially affect the soil and grape productivity due to high salinity

Statistics in Climate Variability, Dry Spells, and Implications for Local Livelihoods in Semiarid Regions of Tanzania: The Way Forward

This research article published by Springer Nature Switzerland AG., 2016The Dodoma municipality, a semiarid region of Tanzania, is characterized by limited rains, lack of surface water sources, and a high frequency of extreme climate events, particularly droughts and floods. These disadvantaged settings make it vital to study long-term climate trends for signals and patterns of shifting climate regimes for integrity of local livelihood support systems, especially agriculture, recharge, and pasture developments. The area has fairly long climate records, some of which extend to about 100 years. This chapter presents detailed analysis of six climate parameters, namely, rainfall (R), atmospheric relative humidity (ARH), temperature (T), sunshine (S), radiation (RD), wind speed (WS), and evaporation (ET) records from three meteorological stations, namely, Hombolo Agrovet (HMS), Dodoma (DMS), and Makutupora (MMS). The parameters above were statistically and graphically analyzed in four time scales, namely, monthly, seasonal, annual, and time series. The results showed the area is characterized by slight spatial variability in R intensity and T magnitudes with HMS having higher T and rains than DMS and MMS. Further there are clear decreasing trends in ARH and R, while T, S, WS, ET, and RD parameters showed characteristic increasing trends. Thus, except for extreme rain events, particularly El Niño-Southern Oscillations (ENSO), which are characterized by abnormally increased R magnitudes, R intensity has generally decreased in which over the past 91 years, there has been a net R decrease of 54 mm out of annual rains of only about 550 mm/year. Compared to annual time step, however, monthly step reveals more silent features like shortening of the growing seasons. Similarly, the frequency and severity of drought episodes are increasing, all of which adversely impact agriculture, pasture development, and recharge. Similarly, disappearance of R in some months, shifting seasonality, and general declining R intensities and magnitudes are clearly observed. May rains have largely disappeared, while in January, February, March, and April rains have decreased and hence shortening the length of growing season. On the other hand, clear warming trends and declining ARH were also observed. Yet the area is marked by cyclic wetting and drying events where in recent years, drying cycles have been prolonged. However, there is more variability in the mean minimum temperature (MMT) than in mean maximum temperatures (MMMT) in all stations. Between 1961 and 2012, there has been a net 1.13 and 0.778 °C increases in annual MMT and MMMT in DMS, respectively. Like for R trends, silent features are more evident under monthly T data than annual time steps where it is clear that June had the highest increase in MMT (1.54 °C), while April had the least (only 0.662 °C). However, both trends have the potential of affecting major livelihood support systems particularly agriculture and pasture development, but also local groundwater recharge that is vital for the local economy. The study area therefore offers a rare opportunity to understand and manage changing climate regimes including on extent of dry spells and longevity of growing seasons. The changing climate trends consequently call for significant adaptation and mitigation strategies so that local activities adjust to the current climate regimes particularly on onset and end of rainfall seasons and recharge fluxes

Science Meets Traditional Knowledge: Water and Climate in the Sahtu (Great Bear Lake) Region, Northwest Territories, Canada

In July 2005, several scientists from the Mackenzie GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment) Study, known as MAGS, met with aboriginal people in Deline on the shore of Great Bear Lake to exchange information on climate and water in the region. Topics discussed pertained directly to the northern environment, and they included climate variability and change, wind, lightning, lake ice, lake level, and streamflow. The traditional knowledge shared by the residents is a rich source of local expertise about the landscape and climate systems of the Deline area, while the scientific knowledge provided by MAGS presents a scientific basis for many observed climate and water phenomena, particularly on a broad regional scale. Through cordial and open discussions, the meeting facilitated the sharing of traditional knowledge and scientific results. The meeting enhanced the potential for traditional knowledge to help direct and validate scientific investigations and for scientific knowledge to be used in conjunction with traditional knowledge to guide community decision making.En juillet 2005, plusieurs scientifiques de l’étude Mackenzie GEWEX (expérience internationale sur l’énergie et le cycle hydrologique), connue sous le nom de MAGS, ont rencontré les Autochtones de Deline, sur la côte du Grand lac de l’Ours dans le but d’échanger des données sur les conditions climatiques et hydrologiques de la région. Les sujets à l’étude se rapportaient directement à l’environnement nordique, plus précisément la variabilité et le changement climatiques, le vent, la foudre, la glace lacustre, le niveau des lacs et le débit des cours d’eau. Les connaissances traditionnelles des habitants de la région représentent une riche source d’expertise locale au sujet du paysage et des systèmes climatiques de la région de Deline, tandis que les connaissances scientifiques fournies par MAGS constituent une base scientifique pour de nombreux phénomènes climatiques et hydrologiques observés, surtout sur une vaste échelle régionale. Grâce à des discussions cordiales et ouvertes, cette réunion a donné lieu au partage de connaissances traditionnelles et de résultats scientifiques. Cette réunion a également permis d’accroître la possibilité que les connaissances traditionnelles aident à diriger et à valider les enquêtes scientifiques, et que les connaissances scientifiques soient employées de pair avec les connaissances traditionnelles pour favoriser la prise de décisions au sein de la collectivité

The Earliest Evidence of Holometabolan Insect Pupation in Conifer Wood

Background: The pre-Jurassic record of terrestrial wood borings is poorly resolved, despite body fossil evidence of insect diversification among xylophilic clades starting in the late Paleozoic. Detailed analysis of borings in petrified wood provides direct evidence of wood utilization by invertebrate animals, which typically comprises feeding behaviors.\ud \ud Methodology/Principal Findings: We describe a U-shaped boring in petrified wood from the Late Triassic Chinle Formation of southern Utah that demonstrates a strong linkage between insect ontogeny and conifer wood resources. Xylokrypta durossi new ichnogenus and ichnospecies is a large excavation in wood that is backfilled with partially digested xylem, creating a secluded chamber. The tracemaker exited the chamber by way of a small vertical shaft. This sequence of behaviors is most consistent with the entrance of a larva followed by pupal quiescence and adult emergence — hallmarks of holometabolous insect ontogeny. Among the known body fossil record of Triassic insects, cupedid beetles (Coleoptera: Archostemata) are deemed the most plausible tracemakers of Xylokrypta, based on their body size and modern xylobiotic lifestyle.\ud \ud Conclusions/Significance: This oldest record of pupation in fossil wood provides an alternative interpretation to borings once regarded as evidence for Triassic bees. Instead Xylokrypta suggests that early archostematan beetles were leaders in exploiting wood substrates well before modern clades of xylophages arose in the late Mesozoic

Strengthening climate change adaptation research : mobilizing and enabling international research partnerships; IDRC workshop, 6-7 Feb. 2007, Ottawa

PowerPoint presentatio

Variability of net soil erosion and it's association with topography in Canadian Prairie agricultural landscapes

In this thesis, the central hypothesis is that net soil erosion varies systematically with landscape topography. To test this hypothesis, two small (84 and 180 ha) agricultural drainage basins In central Saskatchewan were studied. The concentration of 137Cs in the soil was used to estimate net erosion, integrated over the past 20 to 25 years, at nearly 300 sites in the two study basins. The topography of each study area was represented by a digital terrain model. Computer programs were used to calculate topographic variables for each element of the digital terrain models. These variables expressed the three-dimensional surface shape and relative position of each element within the landscape. Representative samples drawn from each basin showed only weak correlations between topographic variables and net erosion. A seven unit landform model of the association between net erosion and topography was proposed. The model units were main channel, tributary channels, swales, midslopes, crest slopes, level upland, and depressions. An analysis of variance showed these landform units to have significantly different net erosion ranks. While the model was applicable to both study basins, the mean net erosion for some units differed markedly between basins. Correlations between net erosion and topographic variables within the landform units were generally stronger than for the basins as a whole. The correlations suggested different processes dominate soil redistribution in different parts of the basins. An algorithm was introduced to objectively group net erosion estimates into topographically defined subsets. The classification results supported the seven unit landform model