Looking back to prepare for the future:

The St. Mary, Red Deer and Oldman River Dam projects

Stewart Rood

AIPA 2017WISE

Oldman Dam, June 21 2014

1900 20001950

1867 – Confederation

1882 – Navigable Waters Protection Act

1887 – Treaty 7

1899 – Kimball Weir – St. Mary Project

1903 – Spite Canal

1905 – Province of Alberta

1909 – Boundary Waters Treaty

1915 – American St. Mary Canal

Sherburne Dam

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

0.1

1

10

100

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Lower St. Mary River

Aug. flows

Riv

er

flow

(cm

s)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Year

Dis

charg

e (

m3/s

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Pota

to W

ate

r U

se (

mm

/day)

~1960

~2060

* **

Upper Waterton - 1908 to 2014

Storage

and

Release

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

SMRID - 2000

~ 1950

River dams were favored as development opportunities.

Southern Albertans were supportive.

The St. Mary Dam would flood Blood Reserve lands,

the Band Council supported the project.

Water storage would allow irrigation expansion,

and enable the Blood Tribe Agricultural Project.

Geotechnical studies were undertaken,

but limited environmental assessment.

Opening – July 1951

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

0.1

1

10

100

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Lower St. Mary River

Aug. flows

minimum flows (1969+)

Riv

er

flow

(cm

s)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

57 61 65 69 73 77 81 85 89 93 97 101

1951

1961

1981

1985

2005

River distance (km)

Co

tton

woo

d a

bun

da

nce

(%)

lower St. Mary River

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

1915 - Alberta – Irrigation Districts Act

1919 - Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID)

1930 - Alberta Natural Resources Act

1921 – LNID Weir – On Peigan Reserve

‘Just Add Water’ LNID

minimum flows

Oldman River

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

LNID

Weir

1922

1

10

100

1000

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Oldman River – Lethbridge

August flows

1930 –

Alb

erta

Natu

ral

Resourc

es A

ct

minimum flows

Riv

er

flow

(cm

s)

River: 8%

Diversion: 92%

Lethbridge – July 1988

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

LNID

Weir

1922

Oldman River Dam

- Anticipated after LNID Weir

- 1960 - PFRA – Three Rivers site

- Extensive Environmental Impact Assessment & consultation

- 1980 - Brocket site favored by some on Peigan Band Council

- 1984 - Three Rivers announced by Premier Lougheed

1930 –

Alb

erta

Natu

ral

Resourc

es A

ct

Opposition:

- Dam Busters – local

- Friends of the Oldman Dam (FOR)

- Lonefighters – Peigan members

Legal appeal by FOR, NWPA

- 1992 - Supreme Court - Federal & ProvincialAPWSS, 1992

June 1989

minimum flows

Oldman River Dam Project

First Canadian dam to implement environmental flows

Functional Flow components:

1991 increased minimum flows

1993 flow ramping

people cared

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

LNID

Weir

1922

1930 –

Alb

erta

Natu

ral

Resourc

es A

ct

1992 –

Old

man R

iver D

ecis

ion

Oldman

River

Dam

Project

1992

1

10

100

1000

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Oldman River – Lethbridge

August flows

minimum flows

environmental flows

Riv

er

flow

(cm

s)

Aug. 10, 2014

Lethbridge

Ideal pattern,

Progressive ramping

Waterton

Dam

Oldman River, Lethbridge

Restored woodlands

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

LNID

Weir

1922

1930 –

Alb

erta

Natu

ral

Resourc

es A

ct

1992 –

Old

man R

iver D

ecis

ion

Oldman

River

Dam

Project

1992

minimum flowsenvironmental flows

1

10

100

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Lower St. Mary River

May-Sept. flows

Riv

er

flow

(cm

s)

Lower St. Mary River

- Cottonwoods too far gone

- Willows expanded

- Improved fishery

bowrivercanada.com

AbEnv

bowrivercanada.com

Waterton Reservoir

Flow ramping and the increase in minimum

flow promoted cottonwoods along the lower

Waterton River.

River Research and Applications

Stephen Foster - AEP

Oldman River Dam Project

- Loss of river valley woodland with reservoir flooding

- An unproductive reservoir

- Functional Flows supported by Alberta Environment, Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Districts

- Recovery of instream flows through summer, flow ramping

- Environmental benefits along the Oldman, St. Mary, Waterton & S. Sask. Rivers

Cottonwood Park, Lethbridge

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

LNID

Weir

1922

1930 –

Alb

erta

Natu

ral

Resourc

es A

ct

1992 –

Old

man R

iver D

ecis

ion

Oldman

River

Dam

Project

1992

minimum flows

environmental flows

Pine

Coulee

Project

2003

Twin

Valley

Dam

2004

Joint Review

1

10

100

1000

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Red Deer River – Aug. flows

Dickson

Dam

(RDR)

1983

Riv

er

flow

(cm

s)

Water Innovation Program

May 2017

Red Deer River

Continuing cottonwood recruitment

after Dickson Dam

Flow ramping easily achievable.

Laurens Philipsen – Farmers Edge

- Twin Valley Dam - Little Bow River (from Highwood River)

- River water is an Environmental Asset

- Flow augmentation = wider channel & more willows & more birds

Evan Hillman - AEP

Montana, USA

Red Deer

Calgary

Lethbridge

MedicineHat

Bow R.

Oldman R.

St. Mary R.

N

=

+=

+

+

L. Bow R.

+

Following the Oldman River Dam Project

1900 20001950

1915 –

US

A -

St. M

ary

Can

al

1905 –

Pro

vin

ce o

f Alb

erta

1899 –

Kim

ball W

eir

St. M

ary

Pro

ject

1887 –

Tre

aty

7

1882 –

Navig

able

Wate

rs

Pro

tectio

n A

ct

St. Mary

Dam

1951

Waterton

Dam

1964

LNID

Weir

1922

1930 –

Alb

erta

Natu

ral

Resourc

es A

ct

1992 –

Old

man R

iver D

ecis

ion

Oldman

River

Dam

Project

1992

minimum flows

environmental flows

Pine

Coulee

Project

2003

Twin

Valley

Dam

2004

Joint Review

Dickson

Dam

(RDR)

1983

St. Mary Red Deer Oldman Twin Valley

Economic

Investment

Water

Management

First Nations

Environment

Site C Springbank

Blue Era – Dams are Good Green Era – Dams are Bad

Climate

Change

(with Diandra Bruised Head & Nikki Colucci)

Looking back to prepare for the future:

The St. Mary and Oldman River Dam projects

Stewart Rood

AIPA 2017WISE

Oldman Dam, June 21 2014