Additional
Information
Moose Jaw River
Watershed Boudaries Map
Moose Jaw River
Watershed
Source Water
Protection Plan
Moose Jaw River Source Water Protection Plan
Background Report
Saskatchewan
Watershed Authority
Participating
Municipalities
RM of Brokenshell #68
RM of Norton #69
RM of Caledonia #99
RM of Elmsthorpe #100
RM of Terrell #101
RM of Redburn #130
RM of Baildon #131
RM of Moose Jaw #161
RM of Caron #162
RM of Wheatlands #163
RM of Eyebrow #193
RM of Enfield #194
Town of Rouleau
Village of Avonlea
What is the MJRWS?Since 2002, urban and rural municipalities, sectors of provincial and federal government, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority and various other interest/conservation groups began a partnership to identify, protect and address the threats and opportunities around source water protection in the Moose Jaw River Watershed. The planning process took three years and in 2006 the Moose Jaw River Watershed Source Water Protection Plan was developed and is presently being implemented.
The MJRWS includes 22 rural municipalities, 2 towns, 10 villages and the City of Moose Jaw. It is 9,360 square kilometers in size. The MJRWS includes two subwatersheds: Moose Jaw River and the Thunder Creek.
The upper headwaters of the Moose Jaw River are located approximately 30 km west of Weyburn, SK. The river flows northwest paralleling the edge of the Missouri Coteau. Near Roulea, the Moose Jaw River is joined by the Avonlea Creek, a significant contributor of runoff because of the higher topography and more extensive drainage pattern within the basin.
In the City of Moose Jaw, the Thunder Creek joins the Moose Jaw River. The Thunder Creek headwaters begin southwest of Central Butte and flow eastward through the Paysen and Kettlehut Lakes in into Pelican Lake. Due to high elevation at the Pelican Lake outlet, water usually does not spill out into the Moose Jaw River. Therefore, most of the water flowing from the Thunder Creek is from Sandy Creek, whose headwaters are in the Missouri Couteau, southwest of Mortlach.
From the City of Moose Jaw the river flows Northeast and joins the Qu'Appelle River water system, approximately 5 kms downstream from Buffalo Pound Lake. The Moose Jaw River is the largest tributary to the Qu'Appelle River.
The dominant land use in the watershed is agriculture with 70% of the agricultural land being used for crop production. In 1992, 18% of the land was in grassland, the majority of which is located along the western portion of the watershed in the Missouri Coteau. Agriculture has a very visible influence on the landscape.
The City of Moose Jaw is a key component of the MJRWS. City activities have great influence on ground and surface water quality due to population, industry, effluent releases, landfill usage and various other daily activities. The City of Moose Jaw and the MJRWS are partners in protecting source water.
What do we do?
Every individual resident, organization and agency is Saskatchewan is and will be affected by the health of a watershed. We are all responsible to take measures to identify and address issues affecting the watershed in which we live and work. By taking action now, we can experience significant economic and "quality of life" returns when we invest in its future. The MJRWS works with all communities and residents to minimize the detrimental environmental impacts everyday activities have on watershed health by the following:
- Agriculture Water Quality Monitoring
- Protection of Species at Risk through Habitat Stewardship Programs
- Watershed Education and Awareness
- Implementing Beneficial Management Practises for Agriculture Producers
- Improving and Restoring Wetland and Riparian Area through projects "on the ground."
- Identifying and addressing ground and surface water quality threats
- Administering government funded farm stewardship and water infrastructure programs
- Preserving and protecting fish habitat in the Moose Jaw River