Water diversion plan revived

The Edmonton Journal, Wednesday, September 20,1989 A7 Water diversion plan revived Scheme to add water to lake would benefit Getty's riding LYNDA SHORTEN Journal Staff Writer Edmonton The Alberta government resur­rected a $ 15- milIion water diver­sion project to benefit Premier Don Getty's Stettler riding just months after the premier's byelec-tion win. Getty's planned new home over­looks Buffalo Lake, which Alberta Environment said two years ago would be hurt, not helped, by the diversion. Fluctuating water levels in the shallow lake have interfered with boating, fishing and swimming. Owners of the approximately 368 cabins on the lake have com­plained since 1978 that the waters needed topping up. Contradicting earlier studies, an Alberta Environment report re­leased Monday says diverting wa­ter from the Red Deer River into Buffalo Lake will not harm the environment. Government studies in 1982, 1984 and again in 1987 said the di­version would clog the lake with unacceptably high levels of algae. Recreation would be hurt and not helped. The project was moth-balled in 1984. The study released Monday was commissioned in early July, Environment spokesman Diane Dickinson said Tuesday. Liberal environment critic Grant Mitchell, noting that Getty won the byelection in May, questioned the report's timing. " Opening the issue for reconsid­eration, and the conclusions which contradict previous conclusions, raise questions about the objectivi­ty of the study," he said. Mitchell said the proposed $ 15- million expenditure to improve recreation on one Alberta lake is not justified. " Fifteen million dol­lars can be better spent on a vari­ety of iniatives." New Democrat leader Ray Mar­tin said Tuesday the only thing that has changed since the diver­sion was rejected in 1984 is that Stettler has a new MLA. " The timing, at least, is very su-pect because this thing has been going on for at least 10 years," Martin said. " I think the whole thing, frankly, stinks — and I'm not talking about algae." The report says the Red Deer River will not pump as much algae- promoting phosphorous into the lake as predicted. The report is based on examination of water data from 1984 to 1987. Dickinson said the data had not been consid­ered in previous studies. While algae growth will in­crease, " whether this increase impairs the recreational use of Buffalo Lake depends to a large degree on public perception of acceptable ( algae) levels," the re-[ port says. Hugh Dunne, Getty's press sec- j retary, said Monday it is a " coin-| cidence" that the premier's; planned Stettler home overlooks? the lake. " The report is welcome news for residents of the Stettler constitu- i ency," a press release quotes Getty as stating. Environment Minister Ralph' Klein was not available for com-; ment. Spokesman Rod Love said; the province will start a full Envi­ronmental Impact Assessment immediately and it should be com­plete by next spring. The province first started looking at the diversion in 1978. Buffalo Lake is 19 km northwest of Stettler. The $ 15- million estimate of the diversion will be updated with engineering studies scheduled to begin next spring.