Dugout water quality results are showing higher than recommended sulphate levels in the driest areas of the province.
Late June and early July rain stabilized sulphate, PH and nitrate levels, but evaporation means the numbers are on the rise again.
“It has been hot the last few weeks and without rain, so the water evaporates and leaves behind the concentrates,” says Leah Clark, provincial cattle specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. “It’s important to get the water tested and know what those concentrations are.”
Free water testing is available this year through the nine regional Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture regional offices (Swift Current, Weyburn, Outlook, Watrous, Kindersley, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Tisdale and Yorkton) and the Ag Knowledge Centre in Moose Jaw.
This is the third consecutive drier-than-normal year in some areas, with the only long-term solution being an above average spring runoff.
“I think we are seeing a tad bit better water quality this year as compared to last year,” says Clark. “We are still seeing a lot of samples coming in that are unusable and I think a lot of cattle are being saved through this testing.”
More than 200 cattle died at a community pasture in south-central Saskatchewan in early July 2017 after drinking unsafe water.
Farmers are asked to submit a one litre water sample to their regional Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture office. The livestock specialist will run a basic test using a conductivity meter.
“We can help the producer decide if the water should be used, if we should wait for the test or if the water is unusable,” says Clark.
Samples take about five business days to complete at the Regina lab. The provincial livestock specialist will review those results with the producer to help them understand where their water situation stands.
The largest number of water quality test (450) requests have gone through the Moose Jaw office, followed by Swift Current, Kindersley and Outlook.
More detailed information is available here.
