Xatsull First Nation - Rose Lake Dam Upgrades

Rose Lake Dam was originally constructed in 1928 for the purposes of retaining water for irrigation of XFN lands on the Deep Creek IR. The original dam was 183 metres long with an open channel spillway at the left abutment and a vitrified clay pipe low-level outlet through the transverse centreline of the dam.  Upgrades have taken place since it's original construction.  An assessment was completed to determine current upgrade requirements.

Proposed upgrades include:

(1)  Adding a second low-level outlet for the purpose of allowing the dam operator greater control for managing the reservoir levels. While this does not mitigate all flooding, it can potentially reduce the severity of the flooding by allowing the dam operator to rapidly draw down the reservoir level prior to or during a storm event.

(2)  Upgrades to the pedestrian bridge that spans the spillway.  The current width and alignment of the spillway bridge does not facilitate a standard riding lawnmower or other maintenance equipment from traversing the spillway.  Upgrades include replacing both bridge structures with a single-span 1.5 m wide prefabricated bridge.

(3)  Improvement of the dam access road.  Currently there are two routes to access the dam, the north side of the dam can be accessed from the east through a private property at Stanchfield Road.  This access requires coordination with the landowner and traverses an active pasture/field.  The second access route is off Stanchfield Road to the south of the dam through crown land.  This route was originally constructed as a temporary construction access and following construction was deactivated at Stanchfield Road. Given the deactivation, access is only possible for 4x4 single-axle vehicles.  Improvements will upgrade this second access road to allow year-round access to a greater variety of vehicles.

(4)  The beaver cage that protects the low-level outlet pipe is proposed to be replaced with a new stainless steel cage for corrosion resistance.