Dams and Reservoirs

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority regulates the operation of all water control structures in the province with the objective of maximizing benefits to Saskatchewan residents. We operate and maintain 45 dams in Saskatchewan including the four major dams; Gardiner Dam, Qu'Appelle Dam, Rafferty Dam and Alameda Dam. Please see our interactive map of Saskatchewan which has four dams featured - Gardiner Dam on Lake Diefenbaker, Buffalo Pound Dam on Buffalo Pound Lake and Rafferty and Alameda Dams in the Souris Watershed in Southeast Saskatchewan.

VIDEO - 40th Anniversary of Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker

A Look at Lake Diefenbaker

Rafferty-Alameda

Residents of the Souris River Basin have long suffered from extreme variation in seasonal water flow. Such alternating cycles of drought and flood severely affected water users and limited future development in the area. The Rafferty-Alameda Project was developed over the 1988-95 period as a multi-purpose project - to provide water for the area, including the Shand power station near Estevan, and as flood protection for residents downstream in Saskatchewan and North Dakota, including the city of Minot. The project also ensures a more reliable water source is available for municipal, domestic, irrigation and recreational use in the Saskatchewan portion of the basin.  What is the Rafferty-Alameda project? The project consists of the Rafferty Reservoir on the Souris River near Estevan and the Alameda Reservoir on the Moose Mountain Creek near Oxbow. It also includes a 10-kilometre diversion channel connecting Boundary and Rafferty Reservoirs, which allows water to be diverted from Long Creek into Rafferty Reservoir. What is the capacity of the reservoirs? The interim Full Supply Level (FSL) of Rafferty Reservoir is 549.5 metres. Over the past three years, water levels have risen from 540.4 metres in July 1994 (16 per cent full) to a peak of 550.4 metres on May 7, 1997 (99 per cent full). The current FSL of Alameda Reservoir is 552.0 metres. During 1996, Alameda Reservoir levels slightly fluctuated from a low of 551.8 metres in February 1996 to a high of 558.8 metres in May 1996. Who owns the project? The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority owns the Rafferty-Alameda Project and is directly responsible for its operation and maintenance. The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority also owns and operates the Gardiner and Qu'Appelle River Dams on Lake Diefenbaker and 38 other major water storage projects located throughout the province.

Rafferty Dam and Reservoir Specifications Earthfill Dam Length 1300 metres Height 20 metres Volume of earthfill 2,200,000 cubic metres Spillway Length 148 metres Width 27 metres Discharge capacity 542 cubic metres per second Reservoir Design FSL 550.5 metres Effective drainage area 2,420 square kilometres Length 57 kilometres at FSL Maximum depth 15 metres at FSL Area 4,880 hectares (12,060 acres) at FSL Storage at FSL 439,600,000 cubic metres Alameda Dam and Reservoir Specifications Earthfill Dam Length 1660 metres Height 42 metres Volume of earthfill 2,900,000 cubic metres Spillway Length 224 metres Width 42 metres Discharge capacity 1400 cubic metres per second Reservoir Design FSL 562.0 metres Effective drainage area 2,140 square kilometres Length 23 kilometres at FSL Maximum depth 35 metres at FSL Area 1,240 hectares (3,065 acres) at FSL Storage at FSL 105,000,000 cubic metres