Managing
conflicting objectives
When it comes to managing water,
there are a lot of conflicting demands, some of which cannot
be met. The Gardiner Dam was constructed primarily as an irrigation
project. From this perspective the reservoir should be nearly
full from late spring to the end of summer. Another major
benefit of the project is hydropower. To maximize the value
of electricity generated the reservoir should be full at the
beginning of winter and drawn down by spring. For the reservoir
to be effective for flood control it should be drawn down
as much as possible during spring, summer and fall. For the
sailing and fishing enthusiasts, the lake should be nearly
full at all times. Finally as wildlife habitat, the lake levels
should alter slowly and in regular consistent annual cycles.
Management strategies try to find the best balance between
all of these competing objectives.
Water for irrigation
A network of canals supplies water
from Lake Diefenbaker for Saskatchewan's largest irrigation
projects, about one third of Saskatchewan's total irrigated
land.
Helping the Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is in deep trouble.
There are only 6,000 left in the world. Lake Diefenbaker is
one of their most important breeding sites in North America.
Unfortunately as water levels rise, in the spring, nests can
be at risk and predators can spot the chicks more easily.
The Prairie Piping Plover Recovery Team is working to improve
the ‘status’ of the endangered plover by reducing
the number of high water years, nest predation, human disturbance,
the impact of cattle, and moving nests in the event of imminent
flooding.
Water Visionaries
The vision of a major dam on the
South Saskatchewan River has been around for more than a hundred
years. The lack of a reliable supply of water, in the southern
part of the province for domestic, agricultural and industrial
use has always been an impediment to the province's growth.
However things got desperate during the “Dirty 30s”.
Saskatchewan's Premier Tommy Douglas lobbied long and hard
for a dam to be constructed, but it was Prime Minister Diefenbaker
who got the project built. It's no wonder that 'Dief the Chief'
is still fondly remembered in Saskatchewan years after his
passing.
Recreation and tourism
Lake Diefenbaker is the largest
body of freshwater in southern Saskatchewan. With three provincial
parks, three regional parks, several resort communities, a
major sail and motor boat marina; Lake Diefenbaker offers
year round sports and recreational opportunities and is an
important tourist destination in southern Saskatchewan.
Water supply for hydropower
Lake Diefenbaker serves as the
water supply to the power plant at Gardiner Dam, as well as
helping ensure regulated flows at the Nipawin and EB Campbell
power plants. In total, these plants represent in excess of
700,000 kilowatts of generating capacity, more than one quarter
of SaskPower's total generating capacity. This hydro power
represents a major saving in electricity costs for the province's
electricity consumers.
Cumberland House
Cumberland House, the oldest settlement
in Saskatchewan , was established by Samuel Hearne in 1774
as a trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company and was once
one of the richest trapping and fishing areas in the west.
The completion of the E.B. Campbell power plant in the 1960s
altered the Saskatchewan River flows, particularly in winter,
which severely impacted the muskrat population and hurt fishing
in the Cumberland Delta. These impacts were acknowledged in
1989, with a financial settlement to the trappers, fishers,
First Nations, and others from the affected area.
Flood control and water
supply
Buffalo Pound Lake, fed by Lake
Diefenbaker, is the water supply for the cities of Regina
and Moose Jaw as well as a number of smaller communities and
industrial projects. The lake also helps to regulate the flows
through the City of Saskatoon. This lake and river supply
water to over 40% of Saskatchewan’s population. The lake
also reduces the potential of down-stream flooding that might
occur due to severe rainstorms upstream or rapid snowmelts
in the mountains.
_________
About 100 km south of Saskatoon,
the Gardiner Dam crosses the South Saskatchewan River to form
Lake Diefenbaker. Constructed in the 1960s, the Gardiner Dam
still ranks as one of the world's largest dams, with over
65 million cubic metres of earth. Inflow to Lake Diefenbaker
is primarily from the South Saskatchewan River which originates
as the Oldman, Bow and Red Deer Rivers in the mountains of
southwestern Alberta. The quality of water entering Lake Diefenbaker
is generally very good and the lake represents a major source
of high quality water in an area where water quality on other
water bodies is generally poor, usually with high levels of
minerals and nutrients.
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