On Thursday, the Water Security Agency announced the approval of the Dry Lake project in Saskatchewan, the largest approval of an agricultural drainage project in the province’s history.

The project involves 73 landowners over 18,000 acres, and will involve 30 gated structures across the drainage system and 55 acres of newly restored wetlands once complete.

Scott Moe, the Minister Responsible for the WSA, says it’s the first large drainage approval under their new agricultural water management strategy adding part of the strategy was an easier application process.

"They were able to get their permit to construct, their permit to operate, as well as any aquatic habitat permits that were required under one joint permit. Under the old system, each of those 73 land owners would have had to apply for those land permits individually."

Moe says will help mitigate flooding concerns caused by excess moisture in recent years.

"We're able to control how much water enters into our streams and river systems here in the Province and also able to control when that water enters those systems through gated structures and being able to hold that water back, and allow some of those streams to recede a little bit, and let that water back in when the streams and rivers are able to handle it."

The project is the first large-scale approval under the province’s new Agricultural Water Management Strategy.