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About the QLWA

The Quill Lakes Watershed Association’s long-term goal is to manage the Quill Lakes watershed as a healthy ecosystem that balances a variety of economic, recreational, social, and landowner interests. It is our desire to serve the community while maintaining a healthy resource for generations to come.

Our focus is to mitigate the impacts of flooding and erosion seen in the Quill Lakes basin during flooding events, and promote the orderly movement of water within the area. Our association provides the coordination of efforts and equitable sharing of costs between all parties who are benefited by the actions and work associated with flood control, erosion control and drainage of the Watershed.

Quill Lakes Watershed Association #14 was formed under the supervision of the Water Security Agency, and passed into law by an order in council, in accordance with the SK Watershed Association Act. Our purpose is to proactively manage water and land resources within the Quill Lakes Basin.

This Website has been developed to provide information to a wide range of interested parties in a timely fashion, and It is designed to promote transparency to the problems, the concerns, and the proposed solutions to the Quill Lakes Flooding disasters of the mid to late-2010’s.

SK Highways 6 (CanAM) and 16 (TransCanada Yellowhead Route)

The Kutawagan Creek bridge, designed to let water into the lakes from the South West is now a future Outlet point of a Quill Lakes overflow to Last Mountain Lake.

CP Rail West of Dafoe

Another sign of escalating transportation disruptions and expenditures as infrastructure expands past local and municipal, to provincial and national interests.

View from a Jet of 6 and 16 highway junction

If flooding continues, this crucial transportation bottleneck will need ongoing elevation increases, costing provincial taxpayers millions. The area has been raised twice since 2015, each time with costs rising accordingly.

Last Trip Down the 640

The last inspection of the 640 grid road, prior to the last road closure barricades being erected. A 5 million dollar, 3 year construction project to keep the transportation corridor operational, abandoned due to delayed solutions to the rising waters.

The Zerbin Yardsite

This was taken prior to a protective levy being built around the property. The levy was built, and held for a while but as the lake rose it became evident that it would not take any more rises in water levels, and the family moved to higher ground in 2017.

One Man’s Disaster

Some have lost a little, others have lost everything… a life’s work, any hope of retirement, or a whole net worth flooded or labeled unsellable. The livestock and the owner stayed as long as possible. There are more of these nightmares on the way, at many different levels of loss.

Land Loss Diversity

The Quill Lakes region landscape is very diverse. You can see the steep slopes across the lakes that handle flooding a lot differently than the flat landscape to the East, North and West of the Quill Lakes.

Lake Consuming 5 Farm Yards

In the closest yard the lake is within a few inches of entering, the next yard to the left has been diked to prevent flooding. The next one has water up to the Barn and the buildings worth moving… has started, the next one had its good buildings removed and the rest is surrounded by water, and the last one by the 640 grid is now an island.

Habitat Losses almost complete

The shorelines have changed for over a decade, consuming nearly a 100,000 acres of crown and private lands, including rapid disruptions, and total annihilation of vast wildlife habitats.

Milligan Creek South of Wadena, Spring of 2017

Highway 35, at risk in future if the Lakes are not stabilized. The flatlands of the Wadena and Elfros regions are also being consumed.

Expanded construction at Highway 6 (2017)

Spring Run-Off making its way from the landscape. The Lakes are now 10 percent of the total watershed area.

Canola Fields or Islands

The majority of flooding has come from years with extreme rainfall, after the crops were seeded in some cases. For every Centimeter rise in the lakes, almost four hundred more acres flood.

Beyond the railway… looking South

This normally dry creek and pasture is now The lake stretching out towards Last Mountain Lake and covering peoples properties, Municipal infrastructure and wildlife habitats in its wake. And it is all preventable.

Road Closed…

Let’s do something about it…

Latest News:

Saskatchewan Watershed Agriculture Environment Program

Oct 26, 2025 | Funding Programs, News

The Saskatchewan Watersheds Agriculture Environment Program (SWEAP) delivers funding to farmers and ranchers to implement Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) on their farms. Eligible Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) include: Nitrogen Management: · ...