Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency is reducing outflow from Lake Diefenbaker to conserve water.
Beginning Monday, June 15, the outflow will be reduced from a weekly average of 100 cubic metres per second to 80 m3/s.
The agency said in an advisory the reduction is an effort to maintain a certain level in the reservoir after the early melt of below normal snow pack in the mountains and a lack of rain in the Alberta foothills so far this spring.
Current forecasts call for below normal precipitation in the summer.
As a result of the reduction, the South Saskatchewan River downstream of Gardiner Dam will drop about .17 metres from the current level. Through Saskatoon, the river will drop .08 metres. After the city weir, it will again drop .17 metres.
Lake Diefenbaker is currently .5 metres above its normal level for this time of year at 553.9 metres.
The reservoir is not expected to reach full supply of 556.86 metres this year, but will likely rise another two metres by late summer. Significant rainfall would affect these levels.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
