CBC Alberta and Saskatchewan have teamed up for a new series on weather and climate change on the prairies. Meteorologist Christy Klimenhaga will include her expert voice in the conversation to help explain meteorological phenomena and climate change and how they affect daily life.
After last year’s record heat and dry weather, rain this spring and summer is welcome for many on the prairies.
And yet, despite all the rains, drought conditions continue in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
And while it seems that this extra rain is the solution on land, is it really enough? Although it may be hard to believe, the answer is probably no.
Trevor Hadwen, an agro-climate specialist at Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, says many parts of western Saskatchewan and much of southern Alberta are experiencing moderate to severe drought.
Last summer, the drought was the worst in about 70 years for the degree and severity of the drought, according to Agriculture and Agrifood Canada.
Hadwen says the rain this spring is simply not enough to make up for the loss of moisture.
“Just because conditions are improving doesn’t mean all the effects of last year’s drought have been resolved,” he said.
Pastures throughout the Prairie region are below normal production levels based on the drought period. According to Hadwen, there are also problems with the shortage of hay and fodder.
“The moisture we received this spring has certainly improved the situation, but there are still many problems in the agricultural sector that we are trying to deal with.”
The sky opened in June
This June was marked by incredible rainfall in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
So far in Edmonton there has been almost twice as much rain as normal for June.
Calgary saw the Bow River flood and the city declared a local state of emergency, and in Saskatchewan, intense flood storms turned parking lots into swimming pools.
This, combined with the higher snow cover last winter, meant relief for many land-crippled areas.
“We are seeing some improvement with regard to the severity of the drought in Alberta,” Hadwen said.
West Saskatchewan is also improving, but the central region around Rosetown, Kindersley and Leader is still quite dry, he said.
A matter of quality
So how can we still talk about flood drought? Hadwood says there are several factors at play. One has to do with how quickly some of the rain fell this month.
“If you look at the recharging of the water supply, this heavy rainfall certainly helps,” he said
According to Hawduen, this rainfall will fill dugouts and reservoirs, but for things like soil moisture and soil reserves, it’s a different story.
“These heavy rains tend to drain much more into the water supply and are not good for our groundwater, our reserves and soil moisture,” says Hadwen.
Variety in rainfall is also a factor. In Saskatoon alone, heavy rain on June 20 brought more than 100 millimeters of rain in some parts of the city, but only one millimeter of rain was registered at the airport.
Farmers also experience the same geographical variations.
Farmer Del Erickson, left, and his grandson harvesting their farm in southwest Saskatchewan in September 2017 (Submitted by Del Erickson)
Del Erickson is a retired farmer living about 30 kilometers east of Leader, Sasuke, in the southwest corner of the province. The area was still droughty this spring after being drained of moisture last year.
“Many of the dugouts were dry and there was virtually no dirt last summer. And those with little water practically dried up.”
Erickson says crops around his area have appeared relatively well nonetheless. He says that although there was enough moisture to start, they suffered a lot before there was significant rain.
“They improved after the last rains, but especially the earlier crops, which had quite a lot of growth, were quite damaged. And they can’t recover.”
He says the trip from Saskatoon to his land in the southwest shows that crops have not recovered as much as he would think.
“It’s going to be a bad year in … the areas I’ve seen.”
Meanwhile, producers in central Alberta are feeling some relief. This is according to Charlotte Basilic, who raises cattle, sheep and chickens, as well as barley, oats and alfalfa with her family near Vermilion, Alta.
Charlotte Basilic, right, and her family farm cattle, sheep, and chickens, as well as barley, oats, and alfalfa near Vermilion, Alta. (Darren Jacknisky)
Vasilik says there was tension for their farm last year, especially the fodder.
“Last year at that time we were actually preparing to mow our hay and we usually start until the middle of July. “Everything was drying to crispiness,” she says.
Vasilik says they had less than half a bale of hay than usual due to the harsh and hot weather, which can be stressful for winter feed.
“We had food left for about a day for all our animals until we moved them. And it’s a really scary situation to be. “
This year’s rain in central Alberta brought relief to Vasilik and her family.
“As soon as it all started to rain, we felt a little better. So we’re at a really good point. All the pastures and fields look really good.” she says.
She added that time must continue to work together to fully recover from last year’s drought.
“We will always keep our fingers crossed for rain and we will never be too confident about the level of humidity. Until we get to mid-July and there is still good moisture coming from the sky, we will be quite happy. “
How much rain is actually enough?
Due to the duration and severity of the current drought, recovery will take time for soil and plant life.
“Plant communities need more time to continue to grow and replenish and return to what they need to be in adulthood,” said Hadwen.
What will the increased drought on the prairies look like?
As the climate continues to heat up, there will be more and less rainfall on the prairies. CBC meteorologist Christy Klimenhaga explains.
“So even in areas of Manitoba that have floods, we are still dealing with the same problems.
Hadwen says areas that are still on land are still looking at about 60 to 80 millimeters in terms of their annual moisture deficit or how dry the soil is compared to the water it can hold. But as our dry years accumulate, recovering from this deficit does not completely solve the problem.
“Even compensating for this annual deficit does not actually recharge the whole system, but it will certainly return us to the almost normal in terms of pasture production, annual crop development and water supply.”
And since we are just coming out of this land, it is a slippery slope that we can easily return to.
“Certainly on the western prairies right now, where we don’t have such good underground moisture, we will return to a situation of drought with two or three weeks of warm and dry conditions.”
Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of the CBC News initiative, entitled “Our Changing Planet,” to show and explain the effects of climate change. Keep up to date with the latest news on our climate and environment page.
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