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Watersheds 101
The Assiniboine River Watershed covers an area of 17,300 square kilometers in east-central SK. Think of the watershed as a giant bath tub, no matter where the water is, the topography/slope of the “tub” causes all water to eventually make its way into a single drain, which in our case, is the Assiniboine River. Within that tub, there are many smaller sub-watersheds or subbasins, each draining into their own respective creek, stream, or river, before eventually draining into the Assiniboine River. The Yorkton and Walllace Creek Watersheds area two such examples.
The Wallace Creek Watershed Association Board:
The Wallace Creek Watershed (WCW) is a sub-basin of the Assiniboine River Watershed located in East-Central Saskatchewan. WCW is approximately 692 km², spanning just over 6 different Rural Municipalities: Good Lake (274, not a member), Sliding Hills (273), Wallace (243), Calder (241), Saltcoats (213), and Churchbridge (211). The only urban municipality located within the watershed is the village of Rhein. The main channel of Wallace Creek is 101 km long! This length is due to the unbelievable meandering nature of the creek which is a factor of the incredibly small amount of elevation drop from the creek’s headwaters to it’s confluence with the Whitesand River.
Click Here for a map of the Wallace Creek Watershed
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The Formation of the Wallace Creek Watershed Association Board
The AWSA created the Wallace Creek Watershed Association Board (WCWAB) in response to the widespread flooding within the watershed in 2011. Having formed under the Watershed Act, the WCWAB is considered a form of municipal government with the ability to levy funds from their membership. For most projects undertaken by the WCWAB, each rural municipality pays for a portion of the total cost according to the percentage of area each RM has within the Wallace Creek drainage basin.
The Mission of the WCWAB is to proactively manage water resources within the Wallace Creek watershed to decrease the negative impacts of flooding on agricultural lands and protect private property and municipal infrastructure from flood-related damage.
The Vision of the WCWAB is citizens working together to maximize the agricultural potential of the Wallace Creek Watershed through well-planned, sustainable, and environmentally-conscious water management.
The Objectives of the WCWAB are:
- Reclamation of agricultural land affected by flooding within the Wallace Creek watershed.
- Protection of private property, water wells, and municipal infrastructure from the negative impacts associated with flooding.
- Mitigation of the effects of agricultural drainage contributing to increased flows and subsequent flooding of Wallace Creek.
- Coordination of efforts between involved municipalities in relation to works associated with flood management and agricultural drainage.
The Board
The WCWAB is comprised of two members from each of the five member RMs, and one member from the village of Rhein.
- David Zerr, R.M. of Churchbridge
- Neil Rathgeber, R.M. of Churchbridge
- Les Trowell, R.M. of Saltcoats
- Fred Cross, R.M. of Saltcoats
- Donald Soloninko, R.M. of Calder
- Roy Derworiz, R.M. of Calder
- Garry Liebrecht (Chair), R.M. of Wallace
- Dave Burym, R.M. of Wallace
- Ed Keyowski, R.M. of Sliding Hills
- Ron Rozema, R.M. of Sliding Hills
- Garry Jopko, Village of Rhein
Accomplishments to Date
- 53.2 miles of channel cleared on Wallace Creek (approximately 85% of length)
- 3.6 miles of channel cleared on Tributaries of Wallace Creek
- Multiple/ongoing beaver dam removal projects
- 15 infrastructure improvement project locations
- Maintenance Access Easements on 83% of quarter sections along the creek
- Over $1,000,000 of Project Funding spent to date
Provincial Recognition of WCWAB’s Efforts
The WCWAB was awarded the SK Municipal Award for Regional Cooperation in 2016. This is an award provided to urban or rural municipalities that exemplify the spirit of working together.
The Yorkton Creek Watershed Association Board:
The Yorkton Creek Watershed (YCW) is a sub-basin of the Assiniboine River Watershed located in East-Central Saskatchewan. YCW is approximately 2900 km², spanning just over 8 different Rural Municipalities
See Map
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History of the Yorkton South Flood Control Project
Click HERE to learn about the storied history leading up to the formation of the Yorkton Creek Watershed Association No. 5, and the beginning of the Yorkton South Flood Control Project.
The Yorkton Creek Watershed Association Board (YCWAB)
Beginning in 1978 and finishing in 1982, the YCWAB, along with financial and technical assistance from SK Agriculture, and Ducks Unlimited Canada, undertook the construction of a $1.7 million multi-purpose Flood Control Project. The development consisted of channel improvements, installation of several water control structures, and construction of diversions to stabilize water levels and to control flooding of the lakes and wetland areas south and west of the city of Yorkton. In order to implement the development of the project, the YCWAB had to obtain Flood Consents and Right-of-Way Easements, where necessary, within the project area. There are over 250 of such easements registered.
Click HERE for a March 1977 newspaper article regarding the Yorkton South Flood Control Project
The current board is comprised of the following representatives:
R.M. of Saltcoats No. 213 Joe Skitko
R.M. of Cana No. 214 Scott Edlin
R.M. of Wallace No. 243 Blair Harris
R.M. of Orkney No. 244 Trevor Protz
York Lake Regional Park Dale Paul
City of Yorkton Rene Richard
City of Melville Vacant
Ducks Unlimited Canada Andrew Kuras (non-voting Technical Advisor)
Water Security Agency Cole Sandercock (non-voting Technical Advisor)
AWSA as YCWAB Administrator & Project Manager
The AWSA took over as administrator and project manager for the YCWAB October 31, 2014. The AWSA oversees the operation and activities of the watershed association on behalf of the board of directors.
