Producers taking part in a water quality meeting in Hazenmore last night heard more about the importance of testing their water sources.

100 producers attended and 193 water samples were tested.

Regional Livestock Specialist Colby Elford says one of the things producers need to watch for is sulphate levels.

We are all too familiar with the issue they ran into at the Shamrock pasture.

Making sure cattle have access to a good, clean water source is key, testing is important just looking at the water source doesn’t always tell the story.

"If you do have higher sulphates in the water, we need to be sure that livestock are on a mineral supplement program to ensure that they're getting those essential trace minerals," he said.

The recent hot, dry weather can also result in the development of Blue Green Algae blooms in dugouts.

Elford says the bacteria produce toxins which are quite harmful for livestock and could result in livestock death:

"It's not sort of a gradual type of thing - it's more immediate. So, if you find an animal that's dead close to a body of water, it might be that it was in fact caused by Blue Green Algae. It's more monitoring the water itself rather than the livestock."

Elford says there are preventative measures producers can use, noting information on that is available online or through your Livestock Specialist.

The Swift Current Creek Watershed is holding a water quality meeting Friday, 1pm at the South West Animal Health Centre.