The Water Security Agency is working on water infrastructure projects stretching from the Prince Albert to Meadow Lake regions.
These projects are within three Northern Saskatchewan watersheds: the Churchill River, Saskatchewan River, and North Saskatchewan River watersheds.
The projects include Cowan Lake Dam structure replacement, Candle Lake Dam structure and stoplog upgrades, and Christopher Lake outlet structure.
The Cowan Lake Dam project is the biggest of the three. WSA will begin work on the design of the new Cowan Lake Dam, which will include an upgraded dam, replacing the control structure, and a riffle fishway approximately 35 metres upstream of the existing structure. This is a multi-year project and is currently in the procurement stage.
The Candle Lake Dam project will include safety upgrades to improve the structure’s operating conditions for WSA operators and the public, as well as a pedestrian walkway to cross it. WSA also installed a new system for lifting bulkheads and upgraded the fishway inlet structure.
WSA replaced the control structure at the Christopher Lake outlet with a precast concrete structure.
“A sustainable and reliable water supply is fundamental and is especially important in Northern Saskatchewan,” Water Security Agency Minister David Marit said. “As Northern Saskatchewan continues to grow and we see increased water demands, maintaining our infrastructure is critical to continue to meet the social, environmental and economic needs for all users in these regions, including our Indigenous communities and rural municipalities.”
These projects are a priority as part of the WSA’s 10-Year Rolling Infrastructure Rehabilitation Plan.