Saskatchewan Water Security Agency budget focuses on infrastructure and irrigation

The Water Security Agency (WSA) budget for 2025-26 ensures Saskatchewan’s vital water resources continue to deliver major benefits for the people of Saskatchewan.

“Water management infrastructure is essential to every community across the province.” said Daryl Harrison, Minister responsible for WSA. “This year, WSA will be investing a total of $141 million in capital and operations with a focus on two main areas: ongoing infrastructure rehabilitation and irrigation development.”

WSA is investing $45 million in the maintenance, upgrading, and rehabilitation of water management structures in projects across the province including:

• Upgrades at the Grant Devine Spillway to improve flood control and protection for communities downstream;
• Improving flows along the Qu’Appelle River to ensure water quality and quantity for communities and users along the system; and
• Continuing power station upgrades to the Eastside Pump Station to increase reliability of water supplies into the M1 canal and the communities and users it supplies.

This year’s budget includes $25 million for ongoing irrigation expansion including the Westside Irrigation Rehabilitation Project which will see upwards of 100,000 new irrigated acres created when complete.

The Luck Lake Irrigation Project is also moving forward in the 2025-26 budget. This producer-led project can add another 48,000 of new irrigated acres making our province one of the fastest growing provinces for irrigation.

Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan: the Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030 set a goal of an additional 85,000 irrigated acres in the province by 2030. Currently the province has nearly 81,000 acres and plans to bring another 20,000 acres into production this year – meeting the province’s target of 85,000 new irrigated acres in half the time planned.

Earlier this year WSA announced the Water Stewardship Policy – a key piece of Saskatchewan’s Agricultural Water Management Program. – to support producers in managing water on their lands and preserve wetlands. The WSA is committing $1 million over the next three years to research that helps to ensure the policy continues to make sense for Saskatchewan people and its landscape.

“This is great news for Saskatchewan and our economy.” added Minister Harrison. “This year’s budget investments will truly make Saskatchewan’s water sustainable, adaptable, and reliable.”