A new report from Saskatchewan’s Provincial Auditor, states that the Water Security Agency (WSA) needs to work on bringing unapproved drainage works into compliance.

Drainage works are intended to remove or reduce water on land or just below the surface. Since 2015, they are required by law to be approved by the WSA, but Saskatchewan still has between 1.6 million and 2.4 million acres of land with unapproved drainage works.

These unapproved drainage works can cause damage and lead to the loss of wetlands, especially in areas that are at a higher risk of flooding.

It is being reported that the agency was starting to implement a new drainage strategy that will be more effective, and help protect the environment. The WSA’s new strategy will look to educate land owners about the new requirements, and help them get their new or existing drainage works approved.

The proposed strategy would put a greater emphasis on the downstream consequences of drainage works, before they are approved.