24AGR080 - EYREMORE DAM FEASIBILITY STUDY 2024 (PHASE 1)

In 2017, the proposed Eyremore Dam project was included as a water management option as part of the Government of Alberta’s Water Management on the Bow River Basin initiative. In 2018, the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association (AIDA) conducted an internal assessment and ranking of proposed water storage reservoir projects located within Alberta irrigation districts and based on its criteria, ranked the proposed Eyremore Dam project highest among all projects.

This Phase 1 Study will build on the work completed by PFRA in 1977 and examine other key project considerations including: the current regulatory regime, environmental requirements, a cost benefit analysis, a refined conceptual engineering design, and others. The outcome of this Phase 1 Study will provide recommendations on scheduling and delivering the next phases of the project including: provincial and federal environmental impact assessment requirements, stakeholder and public engagement, Indigenous engagement and consultation, provincial and federal regulatory approvals, preliminary design, capital and operating cost estimates, and final design for tendering and construction, should the project be found feasible.

The key objective of this Phase 1 Study is to assess whether the proposed Eyremore Dam can be designed, constructed, and operated within the current regulatory environment for a cost that provides value to Albertans over the life of the project and long-term benefits to irrigation, drought management, water security, and flood protection.