On July 4, the Alberta government announced TransAlta will immediately begin gradually raising the water levels of Ghost Reservoir to 80 per cent capacity.
The reservoir, located west of Cochrane, was being contemplated as a temporary method to help control flooding in the area, as a follow-up to the historic flood that impacted southern Alberta in 2013.
The Alberta government and TransAlta – an electricity power generator and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary - agreed on June 4 to hold Ghost Reservoir at an elevation of 3,902 feet – about eight feet lower than normal range – until July 31. The date was approximately six weeks longer than the previous operating pattern. According to both parties, this option would provide a greater capacity to hold water during flood conditions.
However, in the Province’s recent announcement, officials said forecasts and modelling show the risk of flooding in the Bow River Basin is continually declining and “is minimal past mid-July.”
“Ghost Reservoir has provided a key layer of flood protection for residents along the Bow River and this will continue to be the case in July,” said Robin Campbell, minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, in a press release.
“However, we need to recognize that drought is a more common occurrence in our province and a gradual filling of Ghost Reservoir will help ensure a consistent water supply for users such as agricultural producers downstream,” he added.
Ghost Reservoir’s target level will increase from the minimum supply level of 45,800,000 cubic metres to about 56,114,000 cubic metres. This will see levels raised from 65 per cent capacity to 80 per cent capacity. The storage capacity of the reservoir is 70,327,000 cubic metres.
Many Ghost Lake seasonal and full-time residents, recreational users and boaters, expressed concerns about the proposal to keep the reservoir at the lowest permitted levels at an open house on June 14. Concerns included the impact the extended date would have on the boating season, as the water levels would be too low to launch or dock many types of boats.
Mike Weinert, operations manager for Ghost Lake Recreations, said the recent decision to raise the levels immediately is “a very positive decision” for his business, but he added his business has already suffered this year because of the proposal.
“I didn’t sell-out on dock (slips) and mooring (balls) because people were unsure when they’d be able to launch their boats. And, if they weren’t able to launch until the end of July, many people said it’s just not worth the investment,” said Weinert, who has worked with the provincial campground for 19 years.
About 300 clients store their boats at his facilities.
Weinert said while the recent decision “solves the problem for this year,” there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen next year.
“It’s really difficult for me to build a business when I don’t know what the water levels are going to be,” he added.
According to the press release, the Alberta government maintains the flexibility to lower reservoir levels if there is a serious precipitation event in the forecast. The reservoir agreement between the Alberta government and TransAlta remains in place until July 31.
