The lack of water in the Bear Creek Reservoir is eye-catching, but the city says there is no immediate risk associated with the lower than usual levels.
City of Grande Prairie Development Engineer Michael Harvard says the city keeps the gates of the Muskoseepi Dam during the summer months open to ensure there is enough of a downstream flow. He says one potential issue stemming from the lack of upstream movement deals with the wildlife that calls the waterway home.
“Providing adequate downstream flow so we don’t impact the natural aquatic environment,” he says.
“We don’t want any of the fish, or anything else to become distressed from a lack of water, so we are providing as much water as we can downstream,” he adds.
Harvard says the record-setting heatwave did impact the water levels, but, once more precipitation helps fill up bodies of water upstream, like Bear Lake, the water levels should return to seasonal norms.
“It would be fine indefinitely in its current state, [but] we do try to keep the levels a bit higher… it is a nice spot to look at, and we like to keep the odors to a minimum,” he adds.
“If we get more rain, or we get more water from upstream, that’s when the reservoir will fill up naturally,”
When it comes to public safety, Harvard says they’re urging all residents to stay out of the area, regardless of if it’s filled with water or not.
“There is a lot of silt and sediment within the reservoir the gates do cause silt and sediment to build up in that area, so the bottom is quite soft,” he says.
“We recommend staying out of there and avoiding the potential of getting stuck in the mud.”
According to Environment Canada, 8.2 millimetres of rain fell in the city throughout June 2021, down from nearly 78 millimetres of rain recorded in the same month last year.
