Eastern Irrigation District

The following is a complete list of all projects included in the Eastern Irrigation District (EID) under the modernization program. There are 28 pipeline projects, four canal rehabilitation projects, and one reservoir expansion project.

Current Modernization Projects (2023/24)

Secondary C North Branch

The project encountered a material supply issue and was not completed in 2023 as planned. It will be completed and in operation for the upcoming 2024 irrigation season.

This project is located at the SE end of Crawling Valley Reservoir and is designed to keep spill in the reservoir. Serving a third of the acres off the North Branch Canal, the proposed 6.4 km gravity pipeline will pick up existing deliveries off this section of the canal, tie into the present Secondary C North Branch pipeline, and be sized for over 1,150 additional acres for future corner arms and pivots. Twin 60″ pipe will be installed for the first 4.6 km, to a single 60″, and then 36″ line, to supply 8,695 acres.
Although it is necessary for the existing canal to stay in place, this rehab will eliminate 2 check structures and a rock weir in the North Branch Canal. 

The estimated cost of the project is $15,890,000.

Lake Newell South Feeder

One third of the project was completed over the 2022/2023 construction season with plans for our construction teams to complete the rehabilitation for the upcoming 2024 irrigation season.

This project is located 6 km NE of Rainier, beginning at the Bow Slope Canal, extending to the SW corner of Lake Newell Reservoir. The rehabilitation includes trimming, armouring, and fencing 3.2 km of the existing canal and increasing the capacity from 550 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 800 cfs to allow more flow into Lake Newell Reservoir.

The estimated cost of the project is $1,826,000.

01 – One Tree Pipeline

The proposed pipeline starts at the District Owned, One Tree Reservoir and heads north along the One Tree Road ending just south of Millicent along the Patricia HWY. The pipeline will be twinned and both lines will start at 54” in diameter. Their total length is 24.5km and will tie into numerous existing laterals that are already closed pipelines.

The new pipelines will serve a total of 9021 acres and all operational spill will remain in the reservoir. The construction of the new pipeline will make it possible to remove 7 concrete check structures and 7 automated screening devices as well as their associated maintenance. The District will also no longer need to treat the open ditch for aquatics. Most parcels in the service area of the pipeline are currently irrigated and as such, the potential for irrigation expansion is limited.

The estimated cost of the project is $22,679,000.

02H – West Bantry

This rehabilitation is located approximately 8kms west of Tilley and is slated for the 2023/24 construction year. The current system irrigates 120 acres, 100% of which are flood.

The parcel is served by two different turnouts, one delivery in the NE corner fed by 02H West Bantry and one delivery in the SE corner fed by 03H West Bantry.

The landowner will be erecting a pivot and has agreed to come off the delivery in the SE permitting the District the ability to eliminate the one in the NE. The rehabilitation project will consist of the District removing all but the first 50m of the canal which will remain to service a domestic delivery.

The estimated cost of the project is $159,000.

Table 1. 2021-2025 Modernization Projects

Project Name	Project Description	Cost Estimate
13H West Bantry (Complete)	System conversion into closed pipeline.	$346,000
Scott Pipelines (Complete)	Canal conversion into closed gravity pipelines.	$16,030,000
U-03 Tilley	Replacement of open channel with closed gravity PVC pipeline.	$650,000
U-04 South Tilley	Replacement of open channel with closed gravity PVC pipeline.	$325,000
01 One Tree (Scheduled for 2023/24)	Replacement of open canal with pipeline	$22,679,000
16 Springhill	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$4,500,000
Secondary C North Branch (Under Construction)	Movement of pipeline to Crawling Valley Reservoir, where any spill can be captured.	$15,890,000
Lake Newell South Feeder (Under Construction)	Rehabilitation of open channel canal.	$1,826,000
02-H West Bantry	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$300,000
14-H West Bantry	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$3,200,000
J Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$350,000
S Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$850,000
Secondary A North Branch	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$1,000,000
T Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$450,000
U-04 North Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$300,000
Rolling Hills Canal	Canal rehabilitation in the form of trimming its cross section and placing rock on the sideslopes.	$600,000
Tilley Canal	Downstream canal rehabilitation in the form of trimming its cross section and placing rock on the sideslopes.	$2,100,000
01-P Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$500,000
17G Springhill	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$4,000,000
20 Bow Slope	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$100,000
Lower North Branch Pipeline	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$2,840,000
U-02 Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$100,000
V-Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$1,000,000
X-Tilley	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$1,200,000
27 Rolling Hills	Replacement of open channel canal with closed gravity pipeline.	$600,000

Reservoir Projects

Snake Lake

The proposed Snake Lake Reservoir expansion plan will increase the reservoir live storage by approximately 53,000 acre-feet to 67,000 acre-feet*. 

Currently, 140,000 irrigated acres are either unsupported by a reservoir or receive limited reservoir support. Approximately 50,000 of these acres are downstream of the Snake Lake Reservoir.  The Snake Lake Reservoir expansion will reduce the unsupported acres in the District by 35 per cent. 

The remaining 90,000 acres will continue to be unsupported by a reservoir but will see increased indirect support due to the increase in acres supported by the Snake Lake Reservoir Expansion. 

Environmental and engineering investigations are underway, meetings with affected landowners are ongoing, and discussions with government officials on the regulatory approval process are occurring. 

* An acre-foot covers one acre of land, one foot deep.

Completed Modernization Projects

C Springhill

This rehabilitation project is located approximately seven kilometres north of Brooks. The proposed rehabilitation is to install a closed gravity pipeline system that starts at Rock Lake Reservoir and continues east across the Duchess highway. At Rock Lake Reservoir, there will be a shared stilling pond and gabion wall with the 01-C Springhill system. The system will tie into a few existing pipelines, one being the Long Pump. The pumps on this system will still be necessary for priming pressure to the landowners. The start of the pipeline is 60” pipe, and the new system will supply 6224 acres, 97 per cent of which are sprinkler and will be 10 kilometres in length. The major benefit of the project is the maintenance of spill water within Rock Lake Reservoir.

The final cost of the project was $12,200,000.

01C Springhill

The 01C Springhill project will replace the 30-year-old Springhill pump station with a new pump station located at Rock Lake Reservoir, providing the opportunity to capture all spill water. This new pump station will supply 1757 acres with full operating pressure, negating the need for irrigators to operate their own pumping systems. The starting pipe size will be 30” and the pipeline will be six kilometres long. 

The final cost of the project was $5,200,000.

9H West Bantry

The 9H West Bantry pipeline project will finish converting the 9H West Bantry system into a closed pipeline. The project is located approximately 2.4 kilometres north of the intersection of HWYs 875 and 535. The new pipeline will be 1.8 kilometres long and currently serves 541 acres. Fifty-three acres will be added to the pipeline to eliminate a delivery in the H West Bantry canal, which currently accepts spill water from flood water in NE8 17-13W4M.  As such, only the first half mile of the ditch can be pushed in, with the remainder maintained as drainage works. 

The final cost of the project was $1,100,000.

10H West Bantry

The 10H West Bantry pipeline project will convert the 10H West Bantry system into a closed pipeline.  The primary benefit of this project will be a reduction in spill. The project is located at the intersection of HWYs 875 and 535. The new pipeline will be 5.5 kilometres long and serve 1117 acres. The pipeline will require two road bores under paved highways and include a screen cleaner at the inlet structure.

The final cost of the project was $3,100,000.

16H West Bantry

The 16H West Bantry pipeline project will convert the 16H West Bantry system into a closed pipeline.  The primary benefit of this project will be a reduction in spill. The project is located 3.2 kilometres south of the intersection of HWY’s 875 and 535. The new pipeline will be 3.3 kilometres long and will serve 1112 acres. The new pipeline will require one bore under highway 875 and will include a screen cleaner on the inlet structure. 

The final cost of the project was $2,000,000.

 

08B Springhill Extension

08B Springhill pipeline extension will serve 429 acres through a pipeline length of three kilometres. This closed gravity pipeline will meet the delivery points of three existing pivots that currently pump out of a drain that sees a reduced amount of water every year. This new pipeline will move them from that drain and onto a closed gravity system. 

The final cost of the project was $806,000.

12 Springhill

The 12 Springhill pipeline involves replacing the remainder of the open channel ditch with a closed gravity pipeline completing the system. This pipeline will serve 5118 acres with a starting pipe size of 54”.  The start of the pipeline will be relocated upstream of an existing reservoir, providing the opportunity to capture spill water. 

The final cost of the project was $3,600,000.