PARLBY CREEK-BUFFALO LAKE WATER
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
OPERATIONS PLAN

BUFFALO LAKE
MANAGEMENT TEAM

JANUARY 2002

INTRODUCTION

The Parlby Creek-buffalo Lake Water Management Project is located in central Alberta, approximately 70 kms east of Red Deer. The project is an initiative of Albert Environment to stabilize the water levels in Buffalo Lake. The water management system has been developed in several stages commencing in 1985. Portions of the system have been operational for several years with testing and commissioning occurring since 1987. All phases of construction were completed in 2000/01, except for some mitigation projects.

In 1992, an Interim License under the Water Resources Act was granted for the diversion of water from the Red Deer River to stabilize Buffalo Lake within its historic lake levels. One of the conditions of the license is the development of an operational strategy for the Project.

The Operations Plan for the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management Project will guide the future management and Operation of the project, in accordance with the Interim License. The Plan provides direction to Alberta Environment staff for operation of the water management system to ensure the objectives of the project continue to be met.

The Operations Plan has been developed in consultation with landowners, stakeholders and interested members of the public through ongoing Advisory Committee meetings, as well as a series of stakeholder meetings and public open houses.

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management system consists of two major components. the Parlby Creek portion acts as the water conveyance system to divert water from the Red Deer River into Buffalo Lake. Buffalo Lake is the receiving waterbody that makes up the second component of the system.

The water management system includes:

OBJECTIVES OF SYSTEM

The Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management system is a multi-use water management project with several specific objectives:
 

Operation of the system will work towards balancing the objectives that guided development of the project.

ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Spotted Lake/Mirror Advisory Committee - The Spotted Lake/Advisory Committee provides advice to Alberta Environment on the multi-use operation and maintenance of the Parlby Creek component of the system. The committee focuses particularly on the operation of the Carlyle, Spotted Lake and Mirror structures

Committee members represent local landowners, with participation of staff from Alberta Agriculture, Alberta Public Lands, Alberta Fish & Wildlife and Alberta Environment. Liaison is maintained between the Spotted Lake/Mirror Committee and the Buffalo Lake Management Team. The committee has been operating since 1987, and generally meets once or twice per year.

Buffalo Lake Management Team - The Buffalo Lake Management Team was formed by the Minister of Environment in 1991 to provide advice on the construction, mitigation and operation of the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management Project. Since completion of the construction phase of the project, the Committee focuses on completion of mitigation measures, ongoing operations, monitoring and land use surrounding the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake system.

The management team is made up of representatives of the surrounding community, surrounding counties and Alberta Environment.  During the construction phase, the Committee met monthly. The number of meetings will likely decrease now that the project has moved into the operational phase.

OPERATIONS GUIDELINES

The following guidelines will direct the "normal" operation of the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake water management system. Extreme weather conditions such as periods of extended drought or severe flooding may require operations to proceed outside the normal guidelines.

Red Deer River Diversion Pumps, Pipeline and Conduit System

Two electrical diversion pumps are located in the pumphouse on the Red Deer River south of the Village of Alix. The smaller pump has a capacity of 12.5 cubic feet per second (12.5 cfs), and the larger pump capacity is 37.5 cfs. The pumps can be operated simultaneously or individually. The Interim License for the Project authorizes a rate of diversion of 50 cfs from the Red Deer River.

The pipeline and conduit system conveys water from the pumphouse on the Red Deer River to a series of small lakes and eventually into Alex Lake.

Pumping Season - Pumping will occur during the open water season, starting on or around May 1 and continuing until around Oct 31 each year. Operation of the pumps is subject to Red Deer River water quantity and quality, the water levels in Buffalo Lake, or possible flood events within the system.

Residual Flow - when the pumps are in operation, a residual flow in the Red Deer River must be maintained at a minimum of 300 cfs downstream of the intake site.

Water Quality - Pumping will not occur during periods of high flow in the Red Deer River when there is a significant silt load in the river. High silt content in the river rapidly deteriorates the pumping system, and deposits material in the channels and waterbodies along the system.

Fish screen - during pumping operation, a fish screen will be kept in place to avoid the transfer of fish from the Red Deer River into the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake system.

Water Volume Monitoring - The volume of water diverted from the Red Deer River will be monitored and reported to the Controller of Water Resources each year, including the periods and rates of diversion.

Power Supply Costs - Operation of the electrical water diversion pumps is subject to contract requirements with the power supplier. At present, contract conditions require that the Department pay costs based on the peak demand on the system within a calendar month. Operation of the pumps for a few days within a month results in very high charges and is not considered cost effective. The high cost factor makes it more practical to operate the pumps for most of a month, not short periods of time. Contract conditions for power supply any may change due to recent deregulation of the power industry in Alberta.

Lakes A, B and C Gates - Lake B outlet structure is a gated control structure designed to safely pass pumped flows and maintain Lakes B and C levels.  The structure will be kept closed during the winter months.

The gate on the outlet to Lake B is closed during the winter months to accommodate stock watering.

Alix Lake Control Structure and Spillway - The water level in Alix Lake will be maintained during the open water season for recreational benefits to the Village of Alix. The structure is a self-regulating upstream control structure designed to maintain Alix Lake level at elevation 790.35 with an emergency overflow for flood events.
 

Water levels in Alix Lake will be monitored regularly during the open water season.

Parlby Creek Conveyance System

The Parlby Creek Conveyance System starts where the water flows over the Alix Lake Control Structure into the Parlby Creek channel and through several control structures to Buffalo Lake. The control structures below Alix Lake include a gate for the Wildlife Conservation Area, and the Mirror, Spotted Lake and Carlyle backflood control structures.

Annual operating procedures for backflooding along Parlby Creek are developed by the Spotted Lake-Mirror Advisory Committee with recognition that Parlby Creek license priorities guarantee water use for the three backflood operations involved. The Carlyle backflood has priority up to the limit of its license (120 acre-feet), followed by Spotted Lake and finally Mirror.

Michael Meehan Diversion - The Meehan diversion is a pumping system that diverts water from Parlby Creek to provide for an agricultural backflood. The diversion license is a senior license that pre-dates development of the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management System.

Wildlife Conservation Wetland Area Structure - The structure along Parlby Creek allows water to flow into the Conservation Area to allow management of water levels to maintain the quality of the wetland habitat in the area. The structure may be opened during the Mirror backflood. Once the backflood is completed, the structure will be closed to retain the water in the Wetland Area. The gate is operated by Ducks Unlimited under agreement with Alberta Environment.

Mirror Structure - The structure is operated to provide moisture in hay lands to boost hay production and provide wildlife habitat. Flood easements with landowners affected by the Mirror Structure allow the land to "periodically backflood to a maximum elevation of 787.3 metres for a duration not to exceed 30 consecutive days per year"

The Mirror Structure will be closed before spring runoff to allow water to back up in the flood easement area. The structure will then be opened in mid April to allow time for the land to dry out to accommodate hay production. The actual release timing will be closely monitored relative to pike spawning activity in the Parlby system, but the total duration for backflooding is limited to 30 consecutive days by easement agreements.

Upon completion of the backflood each year, the structure is left open to allow the passage of water from any major rainfalls.

Mirror Fish Pond - The structure is operating each year to pump water from Parlby Creek into the fishpond or lagoon at Mirror.

Spotted Lake Structure - The structure is also operated to provide moisture in hay lands to boost hay production, while providing water for pike spawning and hatching, as well as wildlife habitat. Flood easements with landowners affected by the Spotted Lake Structure allow the land to "periodically backflood to a maximum elevation of 785.8 metres for a duration not to exceed 60 consecutive days per year"

Spotted Lake Structure will be closed to coincide with the release of water from the Mirror Structure (mid-April). Spotted Lake will be raised to as high as the available water allows, not exceeding the Full Supply Level (785.8). The high water level will be maintained for a brief period (2-7 days) to maximize flooding of the hay lands, then dropped to a stable level elevation (approximately 785.0) for one month until approximately mid-May to accommodate pike spawning and hatching. Over the next two weeks, until the end of May, the water is slowly released to the Crown land boundary (784.0) to accommodate the return of pike hatchlings to Buffalo Lake. Water must be reduced to Crown boundary by May 31 to accommodate hay production.

After the backflooding, the gates in the Spotted Lake Structure may be operated to retain water at the Crown boundary.

Hamlet of Mirror Water Supply - The Hamlet of Mirror has access to the water diverted from the Red Deer River for their domestic water supply. The Hamlet pumps water from Parlby Creek into a reservoir twice per year during the open water season (May 1 to October 31).

Carlyle Structure - The structure is also operated to provide increased moisture in hay lands to boost hay production and to allow passage of pike into Spotted Lake for spawning. Timing of the operation of the Carlyle Structure is dependent of the fish movements each year. The operation of the gates is done by the landowner through an agreement with the department.

The Carlyle Structure has a senior license that take precedent for backflooding for 120 acre-feet. However, the department and landowner have informally agreed to operate the gates in a manner conducive to the passage of pike, which also allows more flexibility for the landowner to backflood his property.

Upon completion of the backflood each year, the Carlyle structure is left open to allow the passage of water from any major rainfalls.

Lateral drains - Gated lateral drains are located along the conveyance system to accommodate natural flows and passage of backflood waters to and from the Parlby system. Landowners are responsible for the operations of the gates to control flow onto and off of their property. The Department is the owner of the lateral drains and gates and responsible for outgoing maintenance.

Parlby Creek Channel Maintenance - The Parlby Creek Channel will be maintained by the Department to accommodate the efficient conveyance of water. Aquatic weed growth will be monitored regularly in the channel. The Department will control weeds in an environmentally approved manner.

Parlby Creek Right of Way - The right of way will be monitored for terrestrial weed growth and control measures implemented as necessary. Maintenance of the fencing along the right of way is a shared responsibility between the Department and adjacent landowners.

Farm Crossings - Farm crossing are located along the Parlby system to allow access to farmland bisected by the channel.  Maintenance of the farm crossing is the responsibility of the Department.

Buffalo Lake Component

The Buffalo Lake Component of the water management project includes Buffalo Lake, Rockeling Bay Rider Lake, Trail Tail Creek Weir and Channel. The water diverted from the Red Deer River enters the lake at Parlby Bay and then flows through the Narrows into the main portion of Buffalo Lake. Water from Buffalo Lake could flow into Rockeling Bay and Rider Lake in the northeast end of the lake. Tail Creek is the outlet of Buffalo Lake that flows into the Red Deer River.
 

Buffalo Lake Water Levels - Diversion of water from the Red Deer River will occur until the water levels in Buffalo Lake reach the elevation of 780.85. Once the maximum elevation has been reached, pumping will stop until lake levels recede to 780.65. The fluctuation of 20 cm is intended to encourage a diversity of aquatic plant growth along the shoreline of Buffalo Lake. The pumping program will re-initiated once the lake level drops to the lower elevation (780.65).

Water diversion from the Red Deer River may occur when the lake is at Full Supply Level (780.85) in order to meet needs for community water supply, backflooding, or fish and wildlife benefits along the Parlby Creek component of the system.

Rockeling Bay Structure - Rockeling Bay and Rider Lake are located in the northeast corner of Buffalo Lake. At higher water levels, water can flow between Buffalo Lake and Rockeling Bay. The wetlands located on Rockeling Bay and Rider Lake support a breeding population of endangered piping plovers and several waterfowl species.

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan and their agent, Ducks Unlimited, proposed the construction of a water conveyance works from Buffalo Lake into Rockeling Bay and Rider Lake. At present the Rockeling Bay - Rider Lake project has been delayed because flood easements have not been completed with all affected landowners.

A water control structure will be placed on the channel from Buffalo Lake into Rockeling Bay. The structure will be kept closed to stop water flowing from Buffalo Lake into Rockeling Bay. In the event that flood easements can be secured, the Rockeling Bay control structure could be operated to periodically allow water to flow into Rockeling Bay when Buffalo Lake is at elevation 780.85.  It is anticipated that flooding of Rockeling Bay and Rider Lake would occur only once every second or third year.

Tail Creek Structure - the structure is a sheet pile fixed crest weir that controls the water level in Buffalo Lake at the elevation 780.85. The weir is designed at a fixed elevation and cannot be operated to affect water levels in the lake. In the event of water levels above 780.65, the water will spill over the weir and flow into the Red Deer River via Tail Creek.

Tail Creek Channel Maintenance - The channel of Tail Creek below Buffalo Lake will be monitored and maintained to allow water passage during periods of high water levels

Tail Creek Channel Right of Way - The right of way will be monitored for terrestrial weed growth and control measures implemented as necessary.  Maintenance of the fencing along the right of way is a shared responsibility between the Department and adjacent landowners.

Farm Crossings - Farm crossing are located along Tail Creek to allow access to farmland bisected by the channel.  Maintenance of the farm crossing is the responsibility of the Department.

RESPONSE TO FLOOD EVENTS

Parlby Creek Portion - When the diversion pumps are operating, a major rainstorm in the Parlby Creek drainage area could result in flooding within the system. In the event of a major storm event, all pumping will be stopped until the natural water flows have returned to normal levels. Instrumentation along Parlby Creek is monitored to manage channel flows and local rainfall.

The Mirror, Spotted and Carlyle structures are usually left open after the backflood is completed to accommodate any potential flood events.

Buffalo Lake Portion - If a major storm event or events cause the lake to exceed 780.85 when the pumps are in operation, the pumping program will stop until water levels have receded to 780.65.

The 1:100 Year flood elevation for Buffalo Lake has been calculated to be 781.2. The Province of Alberta acquired shoreline around the lake to provide protection to the elevation 781.2.

The Tail Creek weir is a fixed crest weir at 780.85 and is designed to pass the 1:100 year flood. The Department has no ability to mitigate flooding events on Buffalo Lake by releasing additional water over the weir.

WATER WITHDRAWALS

The Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management project may not be able to maintain the target water levels in Buffalo Lake during various weather and lake level conditions, primarily due to evaporation. However, applications to divert or withdraw from the system which do not fall within the objectives for the project (see Page 2) should be evaluated under the conditions stated below.

Category 1

Withdrawal projects that are located upstream of Buffalo Lake (Parlby Bay) may be considered based on historical natural flows that existed before the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management project was implemented.

Category 2

Projects for domestic and small stockwatering (5 acre-feet or less per year) may be considered and evaluated.

Applicants for domestic, municipal, and agricultural uses for 5 acres feet or less may be approved unless it can be determined that they would have a negative impact on downstream license holders for riparian water users.

Applicants that could potentially benefit from the pumping scheme would only be considered if they can live with the following conditions:

Priority for water from the project is to meet the needs of;

Applications may be considered only when the above needs are met. Water that could be made available would be considered on a cost recovery basis. The priority requirements suggest that new applicants would have to evaluate the economics of their project to accommodate storage of water for periods when they would not be allowed to pump. Storage of enough water for three or four years may be necessary.

Groundwater applications that could impact surface water would have to meet the surface water condition listed above. The groundwater requirements are intended to prevent applicants from drilling in area close to a waterbody and effectively getting water from the surface water source.

Category 3

Water withdrawal projects located in the non-contributing areas of the basin may be considered.

Projects in non-contributing area of the basin where water would not normally get to the lake except in extremely wet years may be considered on their own merits and considered for licensing.

Category 4

Water withdrawal projects that require water to be taken directly from Buffalo Lake should not be considered.

MAINTENANCE OF MITIGATION PROJECTS

Maintenance of specific mitigation projects is negotiated with local authorities and other partners.

MONITORING

Water Levels - An automatic gauging station at Rochon Sands monitors the water levels in Buffalo Lake.

Lake Water Quality Monitoring - Lake water quality will be monitored on an ongoing basis.

PLAN REVIEW

The Operations Plan for the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management System will be formally reviewed 10 years after approval. Major changes or extreme weather conditions may require a review of operations in a particular year. The Buffalo Lake Management Team and the Spotted Lake-Mirror Advisory Committee can assist the Department to assess the need for review of the Operations Plan.