Grant: Strategic Projects Supplemental Competition

Water is one of the most critical resources affecting the prosperity of the southern Canadian Prairies. There are literally millions of lakes in this large region of Canada and effective management of these lakes demands a sound understanding of the impact that climate change and human interaction have on the lacustrine and wetland hydrology. In many areas of the Prairies, declining water levels are limiting the recreational and industrial usefulness of these lakes, whereas in other parts of the region rising lake levels are causing significant property damage, road closures, demolition of homes, and loss of agricultural land. This project is examining the long-term history of water level and related ecological changes in four lakes in the Prairies region: Manito Lake (located near Marsden in western Saskatchewan), Waldsea and Deadmoose lakes (near Humboldt in south-central Saskatchewan), and Antelope Lake (near Swift Current in southern Saskatchewan). Each of these lakes is currently facing significant water level issues (very low levels in Manito and Antelope and flooding in Waldsea and Deadmoose). The long-term changes in these basins will be identified and related to likely causal mechanisms, such as changing climate and hydrology, catchment land use and drainage modifications.