Some Saskatchewan farmers could face flooding and late spring seeding due to snowpack

While many in Saskatchewan are sick and tired of the snow, a quick melt may not be the best outcome for farmers. Jasmine Pelletier has the story.

Snow remains on the ground in much of Saskatchewan, but what impact could it have on producers with seeding season on the horizon?

“For the most part, it is good news when we have, you know, adequate moisture going into spring,” said Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) president Bill Huber.

While many are sick and tired of the snow, a quick melt may not be the best outcome for farmers.

The challenge with snow is that its melting process will impact how much moisture is left behind.

“The faster it melts, the less time it has to soak in and for the soil to absorb it,” said Huber. “That’s when it becomes concerning for producers, when you get a real fast melt and the water doesn’t have a chance to soak into the subsoil moisture.”

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A quick melt also has the potential to cause flooding, especially in areas with a big snowpack like central and northern Saskatchewan.

However, snow remaining on the ground too long will impact spring seeding.

“Producers will maybe switch their seeding plans and go to, you know, something like oats,” said Huber. “Or barley something that’s a little earlier maturing.”

For regions that haven’t received much moisture this year, like the southwest of the province, any precipitation is a good thing. Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang said the southwest has missed a lot of the precipitation that passed through other parts of the province.

“They just haven’t gotten a lot of the storms that have passed through. There’s been a really persistent storm track, through the winter through central Alberta that came right through sort of along Highway 16,” said Lang.

“Anything north of Highway 16 has a huge snowpack. So again, I don’t think they want to be accumulating it anymore. Whereas the dry areas do want it.”

If the melting process results in significant flooding, the SARM is recommending producers look at provincial emergency relief programs.