LONG-TERM FLOOD PROTECTION AT FISHING LAKE

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority has contracted MDH Engineering Solutions to assist in obtaining permanent status for the flood protection berms currently in place at Fishing Lake.

"This is an important second step toward permanently retaining the berms. The communities around the lake that have the temporary berms want to keep them in place for long-term flood protection, and our government has committed to assisting them," Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Nancy Heppner said.

MDH Engineering Solutions will determine what additional work will be required to prepare the berms for permanent status. This may involve shaping the berms and adding erosion protection where needed. Once the required changes have been identified and all necessary approvals and permits have been obtained, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority will carry out the work needed to finalize the berms.

This April, the authority contracted the services of KGS Group to gather the detailed information that the regulatory agencies will require to consider the request to make the berms permanent. That includes documenting any environmental impacts from the project and proposing options to mitigate those impacts. This work is anticipated to be completed early this fall.

The berms were initially built as temporary structures to address the extraordinary flooding at the lake. The affected communities around Fishing Lake have developed long-term flood protection plans to ensure they avoid a repeat of the 2007 flood. Each community that currently has a berm in place has requested that the berm become a permanent part of their flood protection plans.

Permanently retaining the berms will require the approval of several federal and provincial regulatory agencies, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment.

Water begins spilling out of Fishing Lake when it exceeds an elevation of 529.74 metres. Water levels reached a peak of 530.60 metres in 2007. The communities with berms in place are protected to an elevation of 531.60 metres. Currently, water levels at Fishing Lake are at an elevation of approximately 530.00 metres, which is about eight inches lower than at this time last year.

More information on long-term flood protection at Fishing Lake is available on the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority's website, www.swa.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Jim Waggoner
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
Yorkton
Phone: 306-786-1494
Cell: 306-621-6373