Early December, the City of Morden moved to the Moderate Drought Stage, due to low water levels at Lake Minnewasta, urging residents to conserve water.  

This week, Mayor Nancy Penner had some good news for residents.  

"We're happy to say we're back into Normal Drought Stage according to our drought plan. The last little bit of moisture we got put the lake up. We're only down 3 feet now. That is outlined in our drought plan. We're back to normal." 

Following the severe drought for most of 2021, Morden City Council came up with a drought plan in January of 2022.  

Penner remains cautiously optimistic. 

"We go through dry stages, then we go through wet stages. Today where you have a smile on, and tomorrow we could be back to four or five feet below full supply levels. We are coming into Spring and often Spring does bring some showers and more moisture, but it can also be a drought situation. It will be probably a roller coaster ride as we go through this season."  

With sustainability in the forefront, Penner requested people keep up the good work. 

"We encourage people to use their rain barrels and water in the evenings. You can have surplus water in the house that you can store up a pot in the sink and use it for rinsing, and then store that into a pail and take it out for watering. We can still go back to using our gray water for outdoor watering." 

While happy to make the announcement, sustainability, going into an unknown summer, is still a concern.  

"Because we're in the normal stage, people still have to be cautious of their water usage. I think every day we have to be cognizant of where our water comes from and how we use water. We don't want to be wasteful in our water usage. That always has to be on everybody's mind. We just have to be aware of where our water comes from and encourage everyone to be good stewards of water, and that every drop counts."