Notice of Intent to Make a Determination

Crooked Lake Outlet Structure Replacement - Public Comments invited

December 5, 2023 - Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Crooked Lake Outlet Structure Replacement, to be located on Crooked Lake, SK, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. To help inform this determination, Indigenous Services Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination.

Written comments must be submitted to:

Indigenous Services Canada
1827 Albert Street
Regina, SK, S4P 2S9
Telephone: 306-581-3134
Email: isc-skenv@sac-isc.gc.ca

Proposed Project

The Crooked Lake water control structure (existing facility) is located at the east end of Crooked Lake, approximately 135 km east of Regina, Saskatchewan, in Sunset Beach (an Organized Resort Hamlet) in the Rural Municipality of Grayson No. 184. The existing facility consists of a reinforced concrete outlet structure, stop logs, and earthen dyke at the east end of Crooked Lake. Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) constructed the existing facility in the 1940s and the structure was owned and operated by the Federal Government until 2014. The structure is now owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) and has been assessed to have surpassed its design life. The existing Crooked Lake outlet structure is in deteriorated condition, is difficult and unsafe to operate, and acts as a barrier to fish migration during normal operation. The WSA proposes to replace the existing facility.

The primary purpose of the Crooked Lake Outlet Structure Replacement Project (Project) is to replace the existing facility to allow for safer operation, better control of lake water levels, and increased fish passage potential. The Project will include a replacement outlet structure, a fishway, and a dedicated construction and maintenance access road. The replacement outlet structure will be constructed on the north side of the existing outlet structure and will be equipped with electrically or hydraulically operated gates to allow for easier and safer operation and subsequently, more reliable control of lake water levels. Fish passage will be enhanced with the construction of a weir structure in the outlet channel upstream of the existing outlet structure. Construction is expected to occur within approximately 2 years, commencing in May of Year 1 and extending to October of Year 2.

The WSA characterized the existing biological, physical, and human environments, and carried out an assessment of potential effects to identify constraints and opportunities for mitigation to reduce the adverse effects of the Project. After considering project alternatives and applying mitigation strategies, the WSA predicted the Project  will result in six residual effects. Adverse residual effects on vegetation and wildlife habitat are expected to occur based on a loss of 20,200 m² of riparian floodplain vegetation. Positive residual effects on fish and wildlife are anticipated based on a predicted net gain of aquatic habitat of approximately 2,931 m². A positive residual effect is also predicted related to increased fish passage potential and increased upstream distribution of fish, relative to the existing condition. Finally, the replacement of the control structure will result in the continued ability to manage and maintain water levels in the lake for recreation in the future.