Letter from the GLWS President – Gull Lake Stabilization | July 27, 2024

Presidents Letter to the GLWS Membership – Gull Lake Stabilization

The note below comes from Alberta Agriculture, water infrastructure operations branch, who as the operator is moving ahead to fulfill the application requirements of Alberta Environment for the installation of pressurized filtration on the Gull Lake stabilization system so that they could restore pumping without transferring the carp. This includes stakeholder info in their note below and will include open houses around the lake. Details are provided in the links below but the open houses are on

• August 12: Meridian Beach Hall, 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM (noon) – and Parkland Beach Hall 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
• August 13 Summer Village of Gull Lake Hall, 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM (noon).  

The info below and the Open Houses will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to review the pilot and demonstration testing of filtration and discuss the hydrology report which concluded that pumping has had a major impact on Gull Lake water levels and other matters related to the proposed filtration installation. Details will also be provided from the Stantec engineering report on pressurized filtration which included the following conclusion. “It is Stantec’s opinion that a properly designed pressurized filtration system operated with the failure mitigation methods outlined will be 100% successful in avoiding the transference of Prussian carp or their eggs to Gull Lake through the stabilization pumping system pipeline.”.

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Hello;
Agriculture and Irrigation (AGI) is inviting input on a proposed Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) application to amend the water licence for the Blindman River pumping station. If amended, a pressurized filtration system that excludes Prussian carp and eggs would potentially be installed on the Blindman River pump station so water pumping could resume into Gull Lake whenever water levels allow for it.
 
The pumping ceased in 2011 due to the lake reaching adequate target levels. The lake naturally rose above target elevation until 2014 and began declining thereafter, falling below pumping trigger levels in the fall of 2021. In 2016, Prussian Carp, an invasive fish species was found in Blindman River, and with no system to exclude this fish and eggs, the regulator – Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) – suspended the water licence.
 
To amend the current AGI water licence to install the filter, an application to EPA is required.
 
A recent independent hydrology study shows the impact of various pumping scenarios on Gull Lake levels.
 
The results of a hydrology study, facts about Prussian carp and the proposed filtration system are available on youralberta.ca for you and your community to review and respond to before August 30, 2024. 
 
A link to a survey and the open house schedule can also be found there.
 
You are encouraged to post this link < https://www.alberta.ca/gull-lake-stabilization-engagement >  on your organization’s website to increase awareness of the project. 
 
We are committed to open and transparent engagement to ensure interested Albertans can share their opinions, views, and concerns in advance of the water licence application. 
 
If you have any questions, please email AGI.GullLakeStabilizationProject@gov.ab.ca.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Carlin Soehn
Operations Infrastructure Manager – Central Operations
Water Infrastructure and Operations Branch
Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation


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*We encourage our GLWS Members to go into the links provided above for more information. There is an opportunity to take a survey and tell the ministry your thoughts. We encourage all users of the lake to complete the survey before August 30th.

Thank you,

W Norval Horner
President, GLWS

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