grasslands. Because of the accumulation of plant litter on the top soil horizon, the soil is chernozemic and has a colour that varies from light brown to black. The soil is neutral to slightly alkaline, and it has a texture that is medium to moderately fine. Where the plants have been removed or replaced by invasive species, there is more erosion. As a result of the seasonal variability, there is significant erosion that occurs from the snowmelt each spring. The effects are intensified where there is little ground cover present. There is also more sediment deposited where agriculture has taken place because the disruption of the land has accelerated the erosion of the soil. 14,000 years ago the last ice age retreated, forming the Qu'Appelle Valley and leaving many glacial deposits and evidence in the soil. The municipality of Fort Qu'Appelle sits on alluvial deposits that consists of silt, sand, clay, gravel, and other organic material deposited by the glacier. In some parts of the valley, the deposits are thick. Water management within the Qu'Appelle Watershed plans Each watershed has its own water resources protection plan. The lower Qu'Appelle watershed plan is available here and the upper Qu'Appelle plan here. In the spring of 2009, planning staff from the Water Security Agency (WSA) invited stakeholders in the Lower Qu'Appelle River Watershed to participate in watershed planning. These stakeholders, representing various organizations within the watershed, formed two watershed advisory committees (WAC): the Eastern and Western Lower Qu'Appelle River WACs. The committees discuss aquifer protection, lake and river water management, and governance and legislative requirements. Water supply and demand in the Qu'Appelle Valley 93% of the land in the Qu'Appelle Watershed is used for agricultural purposes. Five potash mines are in the basin and an increase in irrigation development is expected. Water demand is anticipated to increase by 126% from 2010 to 2060. On low flow years, Lake Diefenbaker supplies roughly 90% of the flow of the Qu'Appelle River. This water mainly originates from mountain snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. The South Saskatchewan River, which flows into Lake Diefenbaker, has seen flow rates drop by 12% in the last century. With only 2% increase from runoff, water scarcity could be a problem in the near future. On the other hand, severe flooding of the Qu'Appelle Valley could also occur. Studies suggest that due to climate change, 31% to 46% of