3.3.2.1 Saskatchewan 



In past years the ground-water response to pumping has been illustrated through a regional drawdown 

 map prepared by SaskPower. However, the drawdown map prepared for 2003 indicated an apparent 

 expansion had occurred in the cone of depression in the vicinity of the international boundary. Given 

 that the 2003 withdrawals were the lowest of the previous 4 years, and one of the lowest since 1991, the 

 apparent expansion was anomalous. This was confirmed by the absence of any significant increases in 

 drawdown in Montana's monitoring wells (Figure 3.16). It was therefore decided to incorporate 

 hydrographs for several monitoring wells near the border as opposed to the drawdown map. 

 Hydrographs of these selected wells are shown in Figiires 3.14 and 3.15. While there are some 

 anomalous data points in the hydrographs, they do clearly show that there have not been significant 

 changes in ground- water levels in the Hart Coal Seam at the international boundary in the past 10 years. 

 Of particular note are monitoring wells M81 1 and M507, both completed in the Hart Coal Seam, along 

 the international boimdary. 



In 2004, no water-level data were obtained from these monitoring wells with the exception of M507. 

 Therefore, water levels obtained in the spring of 2005 are included. 



The goal of the Salinity Control Project is to lower ground- water levels in the Empress sands below 

 Morrison Dam to approximately pre-reservoir levels. This is equivalent to roughly 2 to 3 metres of 

 drawdown, and was achieved by the end of 1995 and again by the end of 1996. However, reduced 

 production over the past several years and increased recharge from higher reservoir levels and 

 precipitation has led to a significant contraction in the project's cone of depression with the cone of 

 depression being negligible at the end of 2003. The drawdown cone increased somewhat in 2004 as a 

 result of increased production over 2003, but the area is still limited in extent and magnitude. 



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