Illegal agricultural drainage is having a severe negative effect on our environment. The loss of wetlands and increased drainage of farmland pollutes downstream water, causes flooding, erodes land, increases sedimentation, reduces biodiversity, lowers groundwater recharge, destroys fish and wildlife habitat and accelerates climate change.
Illegal agricultural drainage is negatively affecting people. It floods neighbours and communities, washes out roads and bridges, pollutes our recreational streams, rivers and lakes. It causes society to pay more taxes and affects the farmer's social licence.
Agricultural drainage affects inherent Treaty and Indigenous rights and traditions by polluting drinking water, reducing sustenance fish and wildlife populations and habitats, and destroying natural areas of traditional medicine and religious plants.
Therefore, we citizens, request the Province of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada to immediately initiate an Environmental Assessment of all farmland drainage networks in Saskatchewan and stop all illegal drainage.
