The history of proposed Red Deer River dam and irrigation projects spans nearly a century, reflecting a continuous effort to address water management, drought mitigation, and flood control in Alberta, Canada.
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1914: The earliest recorded proposal for a major water engineering project on the Red Deer River was by irrigation engineer William Pearce. His plan aimed to divert water for livestock and farming, setting the stage for future considerations5.
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1935: The Red Deer Diversion Project was proposed as a low-impact irrigation project. It involved diverting water through 193 kilometers of dry creek channels, with a constructed earthen dam and a reservoir with a storage capacity of 406,698 cubic decametres1.
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1945: The North Saskatchewan Irrigation Project was conceptualized, aiming to mitigate drought by drawing water from various streams outside the Red Deer River basin, including the Athabasca and North Saskatchewan River basins1.
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1970s: Alberta Environment's Planning Division conducted studies to identify flood mitigation options. This led to the identification of several potential dam sites, including Dam Site 9 and Dam Site 11, both proposed for flood mitigation with storage capacities of 277,500 and 289,900 cubic decametres, respectively1.
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1983: The Dickson Dam was constructed on the Red Deer River, creating Gleniffer Lake. This dam was built for reliable water supply, flood control, and recreation, but it did not fully address the growing water demands5.
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2004: A public notice was issued for the proposed terms of reference for an Environmental Impact Assessment for a new Red Deer River pump station and irrigation project, indicating ongoing interest in water diversion and irrigation4.
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2024: The Alberta government announced a $4.5 million study to explore the feasibility of a new reservoir near Ardley, east of Red Deer. This project aims to improve water storage capacity, reduce drought risks, and meet growing water demands. The study will assess the costs, benefits, and environmental impacts of constructing and operating the reservoir25.
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2025: The MD of Acadia and Special Areas Joint Irrigation Project was proposed, involving the creation of two reservoirs with significant storage volumes to irrigate approximately 43,706 hectares of land. This project includes a new water diversion license from the Red Deer River6.
These projects reflect a long-standing effort to manage water resources effectively in response to changing climatic conditions, population growth, and economic needs. Each proposal has evolved, adapting to new technologies, environmental considerations, and economic analyses, yet the core objective remains the same: to ensure water security and support agricultural and industrial growth in the region.
Citations:
- https://waterportal.ca/red-deer-river-historical-report/
- https://www.thealbertan.com/local-news/reservoir-study-to-improve-water-storage-on-red-deer-river-begins-9832106
- https://rdrwa.ca/2024/05/13/red-deer-river-proposed-irrigation-project/
- https://windspeaker.com/notices/14056
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/could-the-ardley-dam-proposal-studied-for-nearly-a-century-actually-get-built-1.7324727
- https://open.alberta.ca/publications/md-of-acadia-and-special-areas-joint-irrigation-project
- https://www.mdacadia.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Irrigation2020.pdf
- https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/province-to-study-feasibility-of-new-water-reservoir-on-red-deer-river/
- https://purchasing.alberta.ca/posting/AB-2024-07829
- http://www.demofarm.ca/water_haulers/pdf/history/History%20Z.pdf
- https://www.govtmonitor.com/page.php?type=document&id=10504569
- https://rdrn.ca/resources/river-basin/middle-river/
- https://albertawilderness.ca/issues/wildwater/red-deer-river/
- https://calgaryherald.com/news/potential-reservoir-near-red-deer-could-be-first-of-many-new-water-projects-for-alberta-expert-says
- https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/opinion/burbank-dam-project-7119172
- https://www.alberta.ca/improving-water-storage
- https://www.iahr.org/library/info?pid=27937
- https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/beyond-local/alberta-exploring-new-reservoir-on-red-deer-river-9437370
- https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/local-news/reservoir-study-underway-for-red-deer-river-7656287
- https://alms.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MD-of-Acadia-and-Special-District-Irrigation-Project-ALMS-2023.pdf
- https://specialareas.ab.ca/regionalirrigation/
- https://open.alberta.ca/publications?pubtype=Reference+Material&topic=Environment
- http://www.demofarm.ca/water_haulers/pdf/history/History%20C.pdf
- https://specialareas.ab.ca/2025/03/proposed-terms-of-reference-irrigation/
- https://globalnews.ca/news/10405658/albertas-irrigation-district-managers-propose-a-5-billion-plan-for-water-storage-and-conservation/
- http://archive.org/details/P006730
- https://rdrwa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/May2024_MDAcadiaSpecialAreasIrrigation_OpenHouseInfoBoards.pdf
- https://www.rmoutlook.com/beyond-local/reservoir-study-to-improve-water-storage-on-red-deer-river-begins-9832659
- https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/government/2024/08/alberta-launches-red-deer-water-reservoir-feasibility-study
- https://blackfaldshistoricalsociety.com/mural-Dam.php
- https://www.producer.com/news/irrigation-project-funded-in-alberta/
- https://www.eid.ca/documents/publications/Brochure_Eastern_Irrigation_District.pdf
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