Qu’Appelle River Watershed Updates

• Most of the lakes in the Qu’Appelle system are at or near their targeted summer operating range.
• Last Mountain Lake is high this spring, sitting about 34 cm above its summer operating range. The lake has reached its peak and is now receding slowly.

• The Qu’Appelle River Dam release is 1.9 m³/s, a setting that has remained unchanged throughout the winter and spring. Releases are expected to increase in the coming weeks.
• There is currently 5 m³/s outflow from the Buffalo Pound Lake.
• Buffalo Pound Lake is at 509.55 m this morning, which is 5 cm below the targeted summer operating level (509.60 m).

• The water level of the Wascana Lake at Marina is at 570.56 m this morning.
• Due to ongoing construction work, the City of Regina requested a target elevation of about 570.52 m for Wascana Lake, which is 7 cm below FSL
• With the current release of 0.4 m³/s, the lake level is gradually declining and is expected to be near the target elevation by early next week

• Last Mountain Lake is currently at 490.61 m, about 34 cm above the summer operating range. The lake has reached its peak and is beginning a slow decline, despite the Craven Dam structure operating with fully open gates.
• Release: about 16.6 m³/s to the Qu’Appelle River from the Last Mountain Lake.
• Inflow from the northern tributaries to Last Mountain Lake—Lanigan Creek and Saline Creek—is about 18 m³/s. Although flows have been receding since early May, they remain well above normal for this time of year.
• No further operations are currently planned for this structure near future.

• Pasqua and Echo lakes are currently at 479.01 m, which is 14 cm below the top summer operating level (479.15 m).
• Current water levels are rising slowly. No further operation is planned this week.

• Mission and Katepwa lakes are currently at 478.36 m, which is 13 cm above the crest of the weir (478.23 m).
• To facilitate log boom repairs near the timber weir, water levels will be lowered to approximately 478.23 m. Once repairs are completed late this week, two radial gates will be closed, and lake levels are expected to rise.

• Inflows to Crooked Lake are about 24 m³/s.
• The water level at Crooked Lake is 451.76 m this morning, which is 5 cm above the top of summer operating level of 451.71 m.
• Given the high lake level and the ample water available in the system, stop log installation is not expected to occur this week.

• The water level of Round Lake is 442.36 m.
• Due to the inability to operate the control structure, Round Lake will continue to drop gradually and is expected to stay below the desirable operating range later in the summer.

• Observed:
• • About 10–25 mm of precipitation was recorded across the watershed over the past week, with higher amounts in both the western and eastern portions of the basin and lower amounts through the central area.
• Forecast:
  • About 5–15 mm of precipitation is forecast for the western portion of the basin, with no significant rainfall expected across the remainder of the watershed over the next seven days.

Forecasted total precipitation (in millimeters) for the upcoming seven days, based on the Canadian GEM model.