2010 WATERSHED REPORT CARD RELEASED

The Government of Saskatchewan has released the 2010 State of the Watershed Report, which includes a report card on the health of the province's watersheds.

"This report brings together the best data available on our water resources," Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Nancy Heppner said. "It helps us to make decisions about how we use our water and to ensure that our province continues to grow in a sustainable manner."

The report uses indicators to assess the current ecological health of the province's watersheds, the stress that human activities are placing on each watershed and the management activities that have been undertaken to mitigate those stresses. Each watershed's condition, stress and response ratings are presented in an easy-to-understand report card format.

Based on this assessment, the ecological health of four watersheds was rated as impacted, and seven watersheds were rated as having a high level of potential stress due to human activity. However, 25 of Saskatchewan's 29 watersheds were rated as having a high degree of management activities intended to minimize these stresses and improve ecological health. These management responses include a broad range of initiatives, from government-led water conservation programs to individual landowners' stewardship efforts.

The purpose of State of the Watershed reporting is to provide the information needed to effectively manage Saskatchewan's watersheds and to provide a benchmark for future comparisons. Identifying which watersheds have lower health ratings or higher potential stress levels due to human activities will help determine where future efforts and resources should be directed.

The 2010 State of the Watershed Report is available online at www.swa.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Dr. Terry Hanley
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
Regina
Phone: 306-787-9982