Saskatchewan Watershed Authority STATE OF THE WATERSHED REPORTING FRAMEWORK Monitoring and Assessment Branch Stewardship Division January 2006 Suite 420-2365 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 4K1 www.swa.ca Cover photos courtesy of (top-bottom): Saskatoon Tourism; Nature Saskatchewan; Saskatchewan Watershed Authority; Saskatchewan Watershed Authority; Wawryk Associates Ltd.; Ducks Unlimited Canada; Saskatchewan Watershed Authority; Nature Saskatchewan; and Saskatchewan Industry and Resources. Minister’s Message From the grasslands in the southwest to the Taiga Shield lakes of the north, we in Saskatchewan are blessed with richly diverse ecosystems. Over the past few decades, we have come to understand more about the nature of these ecosystems, and how we rely on them to support our economy and our overall quality of life. We have also increased our understanding of the responsibility we bear to assess, protect and improve our province’s environmental health, in balance with our social and economic priorities, for the good of present and future generations. We face a number of challenges regarding our water’s quality and availability. It is up to Saskatchewan people to determine how we will meet these challenges. The Saskatchewan government has taken a leadership role in assessing, protecting and managing our source waters by addressing them at the watershed level. The State of the Watershed Reporting Framework represents a critical step in understanding our relationship with Saskatchewan’s watersheds, as well as our role as stewards of our environment. For the first time in Saskatchewan, this framework will integrate the information collected by numerous provincial and federal agencies and present it in an easily understandable, technically sound report- card format. This reporting method will provide the people of Saskatchewan with a far more complete picture of Saskatchewan’s watersheds than has ever been available before, as well as a more detailed understanding of how our actions impact watershed health and function. The information in these reports will assist stakeholder groups and individual citizens to improve decision-making regarding our domestic, agricultural, industrial, and recreational water uses. This framework will also allow us to chart our management goals for each watershed and for the province as a whole, as well as to measure our progress in meeting these stated goals. The State of the Watershed Reporting Framework is an important component in support of Saskatchewan’s Green Strategy. This strategy provides a vital framework to support our commitment to expand our economy while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our environment. It calls on government, business and the community to work together to ensure a green and prosperous future for our province. Clearly, the proper assessment, management and protection of our precious water resources will be key to achieving these goals. I am very proud to release the State of the Watershed Reporting Framework as it is a significant step towards deepening our understanding of these issues, and ensuring the future health of our watersheds. The Honourable David Forbes TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 Watersheds in Saskatchewan ................................................................................................................... 2 3.0 State of the Watershed Reporting Framework – Watershed Report Card .................................... 5 4.0 Proposed Format and Content for the State of the Watershed Report ...................................... 11 I Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 12 II Description of the Watershed............................................................................................................. 12 III Stress-Condition-Response Indicators ................................................................................................... 12 IV Summary........................................................................................................................................... 13 5.0 Timing of Reporting .................................................................................................................. 15 6.0 Development of Indicators........................................................................................................ 17 7.0 Indicators.................................................................................................................................................... 21 7.1 Stress Indicators........................................................................................................................................ 21 Human Population Indicator.................................................................................................................... 21 Road Indicator ......................................................................................................................................... 25 Water Use ................................................................................................................................................ 26 Surface Water Allocation Indicator..................................................................................................... 26 Groundwater Allocation Indicator...................................................................................................... 28 Aquatic Fragmentation Indicator ............................................................................................................. 30 Potential Spring Runoff from Urban Impervious Areas Indicator............................................................... 31 Municipal Wastewater Effluent Discharge Indicator.................................................................................. 33 Livestock Operations Indicator................................................................................................................. 35 Agricultural Non-Point Sources ................................................................................................................ 36 Soil Erosion Indicator ......................................................................................................................... 36 Fertilizer Inputs Indicator ................................................................................................................... 39 Pesticide Inputs Indicator................................................................................................................... 41 Manure Application Indicator ............................................................................................................ 43 Oil and Gas ............................................................................................................................................. 44 Oil and Gas Spill Indicator ................................................................................................................. 44 Mining Indicator...................................................................................................................................... 47 Forestry Indicator..................................................................................................................................... 49 7.2 Condition Indicators ................................................................................................................................ 51 Water Quality Index..................................................................................................................................51 Surface Water Quantity Indicator ..............................................................................................................53 Groundwater Quantity Indicator...............................................................................................................55 Riparian Health Indicator ..........................................................................................................................57 Riparian Buffer Indicator ...........................................................................................................................59 Rangeland Health Indicator.......................................................................................................................60 Permanent Cover Indicator .......................................................................................................................62 7.3 Response Indicators ................................................................................................................................. 65 Water Conservation Indicator....................................................................................................................65 Watershed Education Indicator .................................................................................................................67 Livestock Operations Regulations Indicator ...............................................................................................71 Stewardship..............................................................................................................................................72 Conservation Stewards Indicator.........................................................................................................72