BUFFALO LAKE Management Team PARLEY CREEK - BUFFALO L A K E WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT o N E W S L E T T E R o J U N E o 1996 o lessage S From the Chairman ince our last report of January 1996, the Management Team has been busy with the preparation of a Mitigation Report. This Mitigation Report was specifically identified as a responsibility of the Team in the 1991 summary of the Parlby Creek - Buffalo Lake Water Management Project Review Board. the project to date. Most importantly however, we are asking for your opinions and advice on the issues we feel need attention prior to Buffalo Lake reaching its full operational level under stabilization. As it is projected that this level will not be reached until after three or four years of pumping, there is adequate time to prepare for any foreseeable problems. Public Open Houses In general, some of Summer Village of these issues include the effects of higher water Rochon Sands: levels on lake and Saturday, July 20, 1996 groundwater quality 11:00 am-4:00 pm agricultural activity, LOCATION: TENT NEAR THE wildlife habitats, MARINA marinas, facilities and campgrounds. The Review Board in its conclusions endorsed this project noting positive multiple use objectives including stable water supplies for Alix and Mirror Lakes, fish and wildlife enhancement, Pelican Point agricultural flood control, Sunday, July 21,1996 improvements to water 11:00 am-4:00 pm based recreation and We will provide LOCATION: TENT NEAR THE significant regional questionnaires to record MARINA benefits. While the your views - Team overall impact of this members and technical project will be positive there will be changes to personnel will be present to discuss any the status quo — some of these changes will concerns. require mitigating measures. Please come out and see us on July 20 in We take this opportunity to invite you, on Rochon Sands and July 21 in Pelican Point. behalf of the Buffalo Lake Management Team, to attend our open houses at Rochon Sands and Sincerely, Pelican Point this July. At these sessions we Angus Braseth, Chairman will present information describing the status of BUFFALO LAKE MANAGEMENT TEAM Mitigation Report Major Agricultural Issues Concerns P o t e n t i a l r e d u c t i o n in the quality a n d q u a n t i t y of hay production in the Carlyle, S p o t t e d L a k e a n d Mirror B a c k f l o o d s if b a c k f l o o d * are operated at higher elevations a n d for l o n g e r d u r a t i o n s . P o t e n t i a l for f u t u r e a g r i c u l t u r a l versus recreational u s e conflicts use around Buffalo Lake. S t a b i l i z a t i o n of B u f f a l o L a k e at higher t h a n recent levels will reduce the area that can be u t i l i z e d for h a y p r o d u c t i o n and pasture. C o n c e r n s that t r a d i t i o n a l a c c e s s to Buffalo Lake water for stock watering will be compromised. Possible Solutions Satisfactory agricultural production in the backflood areas will be contingent on the agricultural community maintaining an effective and influential voice on the Spotted Lake Advisory Committee. Mitigation of the reduction in agricultural lands along the shoreline of Buffalo Lake is deemed satisfactory where the Crown has completed an agreement to purchase the shoreline lands from the adjacent owner. The adjacent owner should have firstrightof refusal to lease back the acquisition lands under grazing permit or grazing lease. Access to the lake water for stock watering should be maintained. Future conflicts between agricultural use and recreational use are probably inevitable. The Counties of Camrose, Lacombe, and Stettler should be supported in their initiative to update the 1977 Buffalo Lake Management Plan. Major Facilities Issues Concerns A number of public use facilities at Rochon Sands Provincial Park will be adversely affected by higher water levels. A number of cottages may be subject to wind driven wave run up at the Summer Village of Rochon Sands and at Pelican Point. Boat launches and marinas will be adversely affected at the Summer Village of Rochon Sands, the Summer Village of White Sands and at Pelican Point. A significant area of the public use campground at Pelican Point Park will be saturated and/or submerged at higher lake levels. Possible Solutions Where impacts are noted for facilities on private lakeshore lands the Crown shoreline land purchase shall be considered as complete mitigation. Where significant impacts are predicted to public use facilities, direct mitigation is generally recommended. The mitigation will involve the retrofitting or reconstruction of facilities to function at the new stabilized levels of Buffalo Lake. Major potential works include: Retrofitting of day use and camping facilities at Rochon Sands Provincial Park to function adequately at higher lake levels. Reconstruction of marina related facilities at Pelican Point and the Summer village of Rochon Sands. Reconstruction of the Pelican Point Campground. Reconstruction of boat launches at Pelican Point and the Summer Villages of White Sands and Rochon Sands. The construction of modest shorefront works to provide protection to at least the 1:100 year flood level for low lying residences at Pelican Point and the Summer Village of Rochon Sands. Major Water Related Issues Concerns Potential groundwater, lake water and drinking water contamination from residential sewage s y s t e m s at Buffalo Lake. Alterations in water quality and aquatic plant regime in the diversion system, Alix Lake and Buffalo Lake. Possible Solutions A testing and program is currently being implemented to determine the extent of possible existing contamination to groundwater, lake water, and water wells from sewage systems at the Summer Village of Rochon Sands and Pelican Point. While contamination may presently exist, conditions could be exacerbated due to higher groundwater levels after lake stabilization. The 1991 Environmental Impact Assessment concluded that most water quality issues identified at that time were not deemed to be significant. The EIA did, however, recommend that a project wide water quality monitoring program be developed to determine post stabilization impacts. A post - stabilization program has been designed to monitor water quality and aquatic plant growth. Major Fish and Wildlife Issues Concerns The need for the development of water management plans for the Parlby Creek s y s t e m including the Mirror, Spotted lake and Carlyle backfloods. The maintenance of natural water level fluctuations in Buffalo Lake. T h e protection of endangered Piping Plover habitat and several important colonial nesting islands on Buffalo Lake. The need to protect Bashaw Bay and Parlby Bay as significant wildlife habitats. Possible Solutions Several conservation initiatives have already commenced. For example, the Wildlife Wetland Conservation Area has been established near the Parlby Creek Channel, and a habitat management project is being developed for Rockeling/Ryder. Fish and wildlife concerns should continue to be represented on the Spotted Lake Advisory Committee to ensure wildlife habitat opportunities are maximized in the backflood areas. It is noted that fluctuations will occur under the Operations Plan for Buffalo Lake. It is advised that periodic drawdowns to 780.55 be implemented to ensure plant diversity. It is recommended that Parlby Bay and Bashaw Bay be designated as non-motorized boating areas. Proposed Operations Summary Parlby Creek Operations advice on the Partby Creek channelization is provided by the Spotted Lake Advisory Committee. This committee has been in operation since 1987 and is made up of representatives from the Public, Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife, Alberta Agriculture and Alberta Environmental Protection. Buffalo Lake Pumping is required for an estimated 3 to 4 year period to bring the lake from the present elevation of 780.16 to 780.85 metres. After the lake has reached the optimum level of 780.85 metres, pumping from the Red Deer River would be restricted to May 1 to October 31 on an as-needed basis. Long term pumping would be modeled as follows: SCENARIO 1 2 LAKE ELEVATION (m) START O F PUMPING END OF PUMPING 780.55 780.85 780.65 780.85 Project Map We encourage you to contact any members of the Buffalo Lake Management Team with questions or concerns - they will be pleased to assist. Angus Braseth 372-3662 Neil Miller 782-3301 Frances Sargeant 788-3785/788-3087 Adrian van Nieuwkerk 742-1533 Karl Grollmuss 742-1801/275-7762 Fern Decaire 788-2451 John Lund Linda Walton Roy Willard Ray Kerber Kim Schmitt Buffalo Lake Management Team c/o Mr. Ray Kerber 4920 - 5T Street Red Deer, Alberta T4N 6K8 747-2438 788-2211 372-2115 340-5310 342-1314