Lake Diefenbaker Reservoir Operations Context and Objectives
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Lake Diefenbaker Reservoir Operations Context and Objectives Prepared by: Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Hydrology And Groundwater Services Date of Publication: May 2012 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 1 2.0 PHYSICAL PARAMETERS ................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 RESERVOIR .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 OUTFLOW FACILITIES AND CAPACITIES ...................................................................................................................... 7 Gardiner Dam ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Qu’Appelle Dam ................................................................................................................................................. 10 2.3 SITE ACCESS ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.0 LAND AND REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................... 14 3.1 TAKE LINE ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.2 RESERVOIR DEVELOPMENT AREA ........................................................................................................................... 14 4.0 HYDROLOGY AND WATER SUPPLY .............................................................................................................. 16 4.1 WATERSHED AND INFLOWS .................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 APPORTIONMENT OBLIGATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 19 5.0 RESERVOIR USES ......................................................................................................................................... 20 5.1 CURRENT STATE OF SUPPLY AND USE ..................................................................................................................... 28 6.0 HISTORICAL WATER LEVELS AND DOWNSTREAM FLOW REGULATION ....................................................... 31 7.0 OPERATING PHILOSOPHY ........................................................................................................................... 35 8.0 OPERATING OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................. 39 8.1 SAFETY AND REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS ................................................................................................................ 39 8.2 PRIMARY PURPOSES AND CO-BENEFIT USES ............................................................................................................ 40 Common Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 40 Normal Flow Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 41 High Flow / Flood Operations ............................................................................................................................. 41 Low Flow / Drought Operations ......................................................................................................................... 42 9.0 INFORMATION AND DECISION FLOW ......................................................................................................... 43 10.0 ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS AND CHALLENGES ......................................................... 45 11.0 RELATED DOCUMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 46 12.0 DOCUMENT HISTORY ............................................................................................................................. 47 Lake Diefenbaker Reservoir Operations – Context and Objectives Table of Figures FIGURE 1: GARDINER DAM - OPENING CEREMONY JULY 21, 1967 .............................................................................. 2 FIGURE 2 – GARDINER DAM STRUCTURES .................................................................................................................... 3 FIGURE 3 - DOWNSTREAM VIEW OF GARDINER DAM SASKPOWER COTEAU STRUCTURE ........................................... 4 FIGURE 4 - QU’APPELLE DAM ........................................................................................................................................ 5 FIGURE 5 - SOUTH VIEW OVERLOOKING QU’APPELLE DAM ......................................................................................... 5 FIGURE 6 – AREA / CAPACITY CURVE ............................................................................................................................. 7 FIGURE 7 – SPILLWAY RATING CURVE ........................................................................................................................... 8 FIGURE 8 – TUNNEL FIVE RATING CURVE ...................................................................................................................... 9 FIGURE 9 – GARDINER DAM SPILLWAY ....................................................................................................................... 10 FIGURE 10 – GARDINER DAM LOCATION PLAN ........................................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 11 – QU’APPELLE DAM LOCATION PLAN ........................................................................................................ 13 FIGURE 12 – LAKE DIEFENBAKER RESERVOIR DEVELOPMENT AREA ........................................................................... 15 FIGURE 13 – SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER BASIN WATERSHEDS ............................................................................ 16 FIGURE 14 – MEDIAN ANNUAL RUNOFF ..................................................................................................................... 17 FIGURE 15 – NATURAL AND RECORDED INFLOW VOLUMES (PRAIRIE PROVINCES WATER BOARD) .......................... 19 FIGURE 16 – PIPING PLOVER NESTING BEACHES ......................................................................................................... 24 FIGURE 17 – PIPING PLOVER RISK CATEGORIES .......................................................................................................... 25 FIGURE 18 – REPRESENTATIVE WATER BALANCE – LOW FLOW SCENARIO ................................................................ 29 FIGURE 19 – REPRESENTATIVE WATER BALANCE – MEDIAN FLOW SCENARIO .......................................................... 29 FIGURE 20 – REPRESENTATIVE WATER BALANCE – HIGH FLOW SCENARIO................................................................ 30 FIGURE 21 – LAKE DIEFENBAKER DAILY RECORDED WATER LEVELS ........................................................................... 31 FIGURE 22 – LAKE DIEFENBAKER DAILY LEVELS, 1969-2005........................................................................................ 32 FIGURE 23 – GAUGED FLOWS ON SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER AT SASKATOON ................................................... 33 FIGURE 24 – RESERVOIR ZONES AND FILLING OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................... 36 FIGURE 25 – ILLUSTRATION OF WATER USE AND FLOOD CONTROL ZONES IN A TYPICAL YEAR ................................ 36 FIGURE 26 – LAKE DIEFENBAKER FILLING OBJECTIVES AND ANNUAL RESERVOIR LEVEL PROFILE .............................. 37 List of Tables TABLE 1 – PHYSICAL DAM CHARACTERISTICS 6 TABLE 2 – KEY ELEVATION AREA CAPACITY POINTS 6 TABLE 3 – SUMMARY OF DISCHARGE CAPACITIES 11 TABLE 4 – PRECIPITATION STATISTICS FOR THREE CENTRES IN THE SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER BASIN 18 TABLE 5 – LICENSED ALLOCATIONS FROM LAKE DIEFENBAKER 21 TABLE 6 – CURRENT LAKE DIEFENBAKER AREA IRRIGATION PROJECTS 22 TABLE 7 – WATER RESERVATIONS FOR FUTURE IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT 22 TABLE 8 – SELECT ESTIMATED DOWNSTREAM FLOW FREQUENCIES 34 TABLE 9 – SUMMARY OF CURRENTLY ESTIMATED FLOOD THRESHOLDS 38 Lake Diefenbaker Reservoir Operations – Context and Objectives File: H6-2 Name: Lake Diefenbaker Version: 1.0 Location: SW 35-26-07- W3 Long: 106 ∙ 53 ∙ 0.5 Watershed: South Saskatchewan River NTS Map Sheet: 72O7 Lat: 51 ∙ 15 ∙ 31 Basin: South Saskatchewan River Region: South West WR#: 05334 Swift Current Regional Office 1.0 Introduction and Background This document presents the physical constraints and current objectives that determine the operations of Lake Diefenbaker. The document is a reference for Saskatchewan Watershed Authority (Authority) staff who plan operations and a resource to inform a broader audience on the operations of Lake Diefenbaker. The South Saskatchewan River was recognized as an important water source in southern Saskatchewan as early as the start of the 20th century. In the early 1900‟s, studies were