Sask. town declares state of emergency due to low water supply
Leaders in Cumberland House, Sask., have declared a statement of emergency because the community has only four weeks worth of water left in its reservoir — a worrying scenario as winter approaches.
The reservoir is the only source of water in the community and this could impact the health and safety of those who rely on it, leaders say.
"Along with the municipality not having access to fresh water, wildlife and our traditional medicines are at risk of being lost. Continuously we have felt this impact." Cumberland House acting mayor Veronica Favel said in a statement Thursday.
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A visible satellite image of Saskatchewan on October 16, 2023. (NOAA)
The statement, issued by the Village of Cumberland House with the support of Métis Nation-Saskatchewan and Cumberland House Cree Nation, said the community has been dealing with water issues since the construction in the 1960s of the E.B. Campbell dam — located on the Saskatchewan River near Nipawin — due to the dam's impacts on the ecological health of the delta downstream.
Favel said the situation is a result of "complete negligence" by SaskPower, the Water Security Agency and the Saskatchewan Government.
The Big Stone River, which is part of the Saskatchewan River system and feeds the Cumberland House reservoir, has stopped flowing "due to low watershed levels," the statement said.
"Reduced flow levels in the watershed due to ongoing drought conditions and systemic upstream water diversions along the South and North Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan River watersheds have emptied the village's reservoir and surrounding delta watershed."
Cumberland House is located on Pine Island in the Saskatchewan River delta, about 450 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Community access is limited. A bridge, built in 1995, connects the community to the rest of the province.
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The population of the village and five adjoining reserves is approximately 2,000. The majority of residents are of Cree and Métis descent.
The communities want to meet with officials to work on solutions to solve the crisis.
Cumberland House Cree Nation Chief Rene Chaboyer said in the statement, "Cumberland House First Nation has the inherent right to secure and reliable water sources."
"We call upon authorities to take immediate and collaborative action to restore their water supply."
The provincial government said in a statement that the Water Security Agency, SaskPower, the Ministry of Government Relations, SaskWater and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency are working with Cumberland House to implement short-term solutions, as well as look at longer term solutions to ensure the reliability of the village's water supply.
This includes a short-term solution that has been implemented, with additional pumping capacity currently operating. The government said it expects the reservoir will be full by this weekend, providing about three months of water storage.
Additional sources are being considered to ensure that water is available to the village until spring 2024 and beyond.
A working group including representatives from Cumberland House, government ministries/agencies, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan and other interested parties has been formed to recommend viable long-term water supply solutions for the village.
The government also stated that low levels of water are not being caused by the E.B. Campbell dam, noting a "significant lack of precipitation and very low mountain run-off levels" have contributed to historically low water levels.
"There are low flows throughout the Saskatchewan River System and well below normal levels at Lake Diefenbaker," the statement said. "There is no ability to utilize water currently stored within Lake Diefenbaker and/or Tobin Lake to improve water levels near Cumberland House over the short term."
Header image courtesy of Getty.
This article, written by Louise BigEagle, was originally published by CBC News on October 20, 2023.
