Conservation Through Collaboration: Advancing Grassland Resilience in the Cypress Hills
Conservation Through Collaboration: Advancing Grassland Resilience in the Cypress Hills
In the fescue hills of southwest Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) is helping to support a legacy that began more than a century ago. Guided by a belief that conservation and ranching can thrive side by side, SSGF works with producers and partners to keep native grasslands intact, healthy and productive. The Cypress Hills Water Project is a reflection of that vision: A collaborative effort that blends tradition with projects that strengthen the long-term rangeland management in one of Saskatchewan’s most storied landscapes.
When the first cattle herds arrived in the Cypress Hills region early in the 1880s, the area quickly earned a reputation as the “birthplace of the western ranching industry.” As the settlers’ cattle herds grew and ranching operations expanded, the concept of open range grazing began to face challenges around resource management for long term sustainability. The concerns around overgrazing and land degradation brought together a group of ranchers, and on December 16, 1918 the Cypress Hills Stockmen’s Association (CHSA) officially formed.
The Cypress Hills Stockmen’s Association plays a key role in maintaining the native grasslands in the West Block of the Cypress Hills by partnering with the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park to ensure responsible grazing practices are carried out to sustain the health of these grasslands in the park boundaries. This partnership ensures the grasslands will continue to be resilient and healthy, but grazing such a rugged landscape does come with its challenges.
Historically, the main source of water for the cattle is down on Battle Creek. This bottleneck has resulted in uneven distribution of cattle especially in the later portion of the grazing season. Over time, this concentration of cattle around the creek has caused some degradation of the riparian area and the surrounding habitat. Meanwhile, large areas of desirable vegetation on the bench away from the creek remain largely untouched. Leaving this large area ungrazed creates a host of problems from the loss of biodiversity, degradation of the grassland habitat, risk of invasive species establishment and increased fire load.
Currently the CHSA grazes around 1900 head of cattle on approximately 28,000 acres of rangelands found in the West Block of the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. Their commitment to ensuring these rangelands are maintained is evident in their work to always look for ways to improve their grazing management and create partnerships grounded in the goals of sustainable rangeland management.
For over 20 years, stakeholders in the Cypress Hills area have discussed constructing a pipeline to carry water from Battle Creek up to the bench, where grazing is limited by lack of water. The project is a massive undertaking, with the lift from Battle Creek to the bench being over 700 feet and with having such a massive lift, the system would need a high-density pipe to account for the pressure needed at the pump station to get the water onto the bench and once the water reached the bench, then a smaller pipe could be utilized due to decreased pressure demands.
Until now, there was insufficient funding or dedication from partner organizations for this project to move forward. Now, after all these years, the project is finally coming to life. Joint efforts and collaboration between the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation, Cypress Hills Stockmen’s Association, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park and the South of the Divide Conservation Action Program, means that these grasslands will be resilient for years to come.
The construction of this water pipeline will ensure that riparian vegetation around Battle Creek will have time to rest and recover from grazing pressure and support the overall hydrological and ecological stability of the creek. Coaxing the cattle up onto the bench with access to clean, fresh water and to graze the rich vegetation will improve the plant communities, encourage nutrient cycling and create habitat for species at risk. The rich fescue grasslands in the Cypress Hills are known for their incredible nutritional value for both livestock and wildlife but these grasslands need disturbance from grazing to continue as a functional ecosystem.
Construction on this pipeline and water system officially broke ground in 2025, marking a significant step for the CHSA and the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park towards better management of this sensitive landscape. Where possible, the pipeline is placed in the ditch along the road to the ranger station, reducing the need to disrupt untouched native grasslands and showcases that every step and decision along the way in this project prioritizes the protection of the landscape.
“This a real ‘feel good’ project that has long lasting benefits for the Cypress Hills ecosystem and helps to ensure the viability of cattle grazing on the native grasslands. I am happy I was able to play a small part in the outcome of the project, seeing it gain momentum from a conversation with members of the CHSA, SSGF, and SODCAP behind the old barn at the ranger station, to witnessing the flow of water up, way up, through the pipeline to the top of the bench in fall 2025. With 3 troughs strategically placed, we can encourage rotational grazing across the bench by using one, two or all three as needed.”
-Melody Nagel-Hisey, West Block Supervisor at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
The water system allocates the same amount of water for the cattle as before and doesn’t impact the number of animals allowed to graze in the West Block. It simply protects the riparian area while enhancing the biodiversity and overall sustainability of the grasslands in this unique region of the province.
On behalf of the Cypress Hills Stockmans Association, I would like to say how happy and excited we are to have finally broken ground on this project. As ranchers, we have always tried to find ways to conserve and protect our grassland and riparian grass. This will provide us with another tool to more evenly distribute the cattle that have always been grazed in the West Block. We are proud to have been a part of the collaborative effort it took to make this all happen and would like to thank everyone who had a hand in it.
-Corbett Faulkner, President of the Cypress Hills Stockmen’s Association
This project is proof that meaningful conservation work happens through collaboration. By working together, these organizations are protecting sensitive landscapes, supporting the ranchers who steward them, and ensuring the resilience of the Cypress Hills for generations to come. The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation is proud to stand behind this effort, investing in the people and practices that keep our native grasslands thriving.
To learn more about funding opportunities, please check out our Habitat Agreement page for more information or contact us with a project in mind!