After last year’s heat and dry weather that broke records, the rain this spring and summer was welcome to many in Livadia. However, despite the rainfall, drought conditions continue in Alberta and Saskatchewan. And while this extra rainstorm seems to be the solution to drought, is it really enough? While it may be hard to believe, the answer is probably no. Trevor Hadwen, an agronomist in Georgia and Food Canada, says many parts of western Saskatchewan and much of southern Alberta are experiencing moderate to severe drought. Last summer’s drought was the worst in nearly 70 years in terms of the extent and severity of the drought, according to Agriculture and Agrifood Canada. Hadwen says the rain this spring is not enough to make up for the loss of moisture. “Just because conditions are improving does not mean that all the effects of last year’s drought have been resolved,” he said. Pastures throughout the meadow area are below normal production levels based on the dry fall period. According to Hadwen, there are also problems with hay and feed shortages. “The humidity we received this spring has certainly improved the situation, but there are still many issues in the agricultural sector that we are trying to address.”
The sky opened in June
This June was marked by incredible rainfall throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan. Edmonton has seen almost double the rainfall for June so far. Calgary saw the Bow River flood with the city declaring a state of emergency, and in Saskatchewan, heavy rainstorms turned parking lots into swimming pools. This combined with the heaviest snowfall last winter led to relief for many areas crippled by the drought. “We’re definitely seeing some improvement in the severity of the drought across Alberta,” says Hadwen. Western Saskatchewan has also seen some improvement, but the central area around Rosetown, Kindersley and Leader is still quite dry, he says.
Quality issue
So how can we still talk about drought in the midst of flooding? Hadwen says some factors play a role. One has to do with how fast some of this month’s rain fell. “If you’re looking at replenishing your water supply, these big rainfall events are definitely helping,” he says. According to Hadwen, this rainfall will fill dugouts and reservoirs, but for things like soil moisture and soil reserves it is a different story. “These heavy rains tend to flow much more and penetrate the water supply and do not benefit our groundwater, our reserves and our soil moisture,” says Hadwen. Variety in rainfall is also a factor. In Saskatoon alone, heavy rains on June 20 brought more than 100 millimeters of rain to some parts of the city, but only one millimeter of rain was recorded at the airport. Farmers also experience these same geographical variations. Farmer Del Erickson, left, and his grandson during harvest on their farm in southwest Saskatchewan in September 2017. (Submitted by Del Erickson) Del Erickson is a retired farmer living about 30 miles east of Leader, Sask., In the southwest corner of the county. The area was still in drought this spring after absorbing moisture last year. “Many of the dugouts were dry and there were virtually no stairs last summer. And the ones with a little water were virtually dry.” Erickson says the crops around his area have grown quite well despite this. He says that while there was enough moisture to start, they suffered enough before it rained heavily. “They have improved from the recent rains, but especially the previous crops that had enough growth, have suffered quite a lot of damage. And they can not recover.” He says a route from Saskatoon to his land in the southwest shows that the crops have not recovered as much as he would have thought. “It will be a bad year in the … areas I have seen.” Meanwhile, producers in central Alberta are feeling some relief. So says Charlotte Wasylik, who raises cattle, sheep and chickens, as well as barley, oats and alfalfa with her family near Vermilion, Alta. Charlotte Wasylik, right, and her family raise cattle, sheep and chickens, as well as barley, oats and alfalfa near Vermilion, Alta. (Darren Jacknisky) Wasylik says he was a strain on their farm last year, especially in animal feed. “Last year at this time we were really getting ready to mow our hay and we usually don’t start before mid-July. Everything was dry to a crisp,” he says. Wasylik says they had less than half the hay bale than usual because of the hot, hot weather, which can be stressful for winter food. “We had about a day to feed all our animals by the time we got them. And this is just a really scary place to be.” This year’s rain in central Alberta brought relief to Wasylik and her family. “Once everything started to rain, we felt a little better. So we are in a very good spot. All the pastures and fields look very good.” she says. He adds that the weather must continue to work together to fully recover from last year’s drought. “We will always cross our fingers for rain and we will never be too sure of the humidity level. he will be very happy “.
How much rain is really enough?
Due to the duration and severity of the current drought, restoration will take time for the soil and plant life. “Plant communities need more time to continue to grow and replenish and return to what they should be in a mature state,” says Hadwen.
What will the increased drought in the Meadows look like?
As the climate continues to warm, the meadows will see more and less rainfall. CBC meteorologist Christy Climenhaga explains. “So even in flood-prone areas of Manitoba, we still have all these same issues.” Hadwen says areas that are still in drought still look about 60 to 80 millimeters in terms of their annual moisture deficit or how dry the soil is compared to the water that can fit. But as our dry years add up, recovering from this deficit does not completely fix the problem. “Even covering this annual deficit does not recharge the entire system, but it will certainly bring us back to almost normal in terms of pasture production, annual crop growth and water supply.” And because we are just coming out of this drought, it is a slippery slope to which we can easily fall again. “Certainly in the western meadows at this time, where we do not have good subsurface moisture, we will find ourselves again in a state of drought with two or three weeks of warm, dry conditions.” Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of a CBC News initiative entitled “Our Changing Planet” to show and explain the effects of climate change. Stay up to date with the latest news on our Climate and Environment page.
