Province to crack down on drainage into Quill Lakes, Sask.

The Saskatchewan government will start enforcing new drainage regulations at Quill Lakes in an effort to reduce rising water levels, which have led to flooding of roads and farmland.

The provincial Water Security Agencyannounced today it will start enforcing regulations under the new Agricultural Water Management strategy, which was released last fall.

• Proposed Quill Lakes diversion project scrapped

In recent years, heavy rain and run-off has raised the water level, sometimes to record highs, resulting in Big Quill Lake and Little Quill Lake joining and flooding roads and farmland.

This is a very complex water management situation.- Minister Herb Cox

The government developed a proposal to build a diversion to Last Mountain Lake, but it was abandoned in 2015due to widespread public concern.

Now the province is giving landowners until Oct. 1 to cease all projects that drain into the lake.

Herb Cox, who is the minister responsible for the WSA, said it was a priority area for the province.

"This is a very complex water management situation and, while there are no easy solutions to this issue, this is one step that will help us lower the lake level and prevent future flooding," he said.

The WSA said it would be focusing on the largest unapproved drainage works causing the greatest impact.