Saskatchewan is developing an Agricultural Water Management Strategy that will be phased in over the next 10 years.
The Minister responsible for the Water Security Agency Herb Cox says the new regulations are Phase 1 of the Strategy and are effective immediately adding it should help improve the overall process and mitigate damage downstream.
"We're ensuring that mitigation is part of our approval process. We when we approve a drainage works, we're going to allow land owner agreements as evidence of land control. We're trying to simplifying the application approval process. And we're no longer exempting pre-1981 works for approval, and we're also enabling the use of qualified persons in the design of high-risk drainage works," Cox said.
The new drainage regulations were created after extensive online and industry stakeholder consultations. Some of the other key changes include making sure that impacts relating to flooding, water quality and habitat loss are addressed as part of the drainage works approval process.
"We no longer need to go out and try to do investigation work and find out if this was a project that was done prior to 1981 or not. All projects will be considered the same now. So, we would look at it, contact the owner of the works, have him come in or make an application for approval," he said.
Source : Discoverestevan