The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Editor: The recent news articles about the glaciers in the Rocky Mountains melting at alarming rates reflect one of several issues that concern those of us who care about the Saskatchewan River system and its quality and quantity of flow. Scientists suggest that our Saskatchewan River Basin could be greatly affected by four separate factors coming together over the next 25-30 years into what can be called the "perfect drought". As the articles mentioned the glaciers are receding. If this trend continues their contribution to the flow will diminish. In dry years in late summer this could seriously affect the total volume of flow. No matter what the cause, our climate is changing. A warmer climate means increased evapotranspiration. The season of snow cover will be shorter. A larger proportion of precipitation will fall as rain. Prairie rivers will be more affected than most ecosystems in the world by a change in climate. Regardless of climate change, some scientists feel we are returning to a pre-Palliser drier climate. We have had an unusually wet century. In the 1860s Palliser deemed a triangle in southern Saskatchewan relatively useless for agriculture. Lastly, the exponential growth in Alberta suggests a sharp increase in water need and usage. Usage also continues to grow in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Many people and many natural systems across the basin rely on a clean and steady flow of water. No one is "guaranteed" any amount if it is not there. We are all a part of a bigger picture and also a part of the solution. We need a plan that brings together all interested sectors from the Rockies to Hudson Bay: science, government, education, industry, agriculture, urban and rural, recreation and tourism. The plan would map out a future that would ensure there is a sustainable supply of water for everyone. Ð Max Abraham, Manager, Partners for the Saskatchewan River Basin, Saskatoon.5/14/2004
