Climatic extremes are common on the Canadian Prairies. Drought is a recurrent extreme that has adverse effects on the agricultural sector. It is important to document the effects and impacts of the most recent severe droughts such as the 2000/2001 drought. These impacts can be compared to previous events and this information can possibly help alleviate the detrimental effects of the drought. We document a preliminary synopsis of the 2001 drought event and describe the initial impacts of the 2001 drought had on agriculture and water resources in Saskatchewan.

The 2001 drought was an anomalous event because of its extensive drought coverage of the Prairies and Canada. A comparison of the 2000/2001 drought to previous droughts in Saskatchewan indicated that the 2000/2001 drought was more intense in the central and northern portions of the agricultural zone of Saskatchewan as compared to previous drought events in the 20th century. The 1999 to 2001 period also witnessed a dramatic decrease in water levels in Saskatchewan which affected the agricultural sector as well as rural and urban communities. Most water levels in Saskatchewan have decreased including reservoirs, dug-outs and groundwater aquifers. The 2000/2001 drought resulted in negative impacts on crop production and pasture growth which created challenges for grain and oil seed farmers as well as livestock producers such as alterations in operation and management strategies.