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3.3 Ground-water 



3.3.1 Operations - Saskatchewan 



In 1996 SaskPower continued to operate their supplementary groundwater supply to Cookson 

 Reservoir. The 1996 total of 5,572 danf (4517 ac-ft)of groundwater produced from the 

 supplementary supply was slightly greater than the 1995 production of 5376 danf (4358 ac-ft). 

 Sask Power had an approval to produce an annual volume of 5,500 danf (4459 ac-ft). Since 

 1991 SaskPower has maintained fairly consistent ground water production levels averaging 

 5459 dam'/year (4426 ac-ft) over the five year period. 



SaskPower's supplementary supply well network currently consists of 21 wells with a total of 10 

 discharge points. No wells were added or deleted from the well field during the year. Production 

 was reasonably consistent throughout most of the year with the exception of July and August when 

 there was a reduction in pumping. This summer reduction in pumping is a normal annual 

 operational procedure for SaskPower. Reducing summer pumping assists in maximizing flows 

 into Cookson Reservoir by minimizing evaporative losses in Girard Creek, and also ensures that 

 SaskPower's allocation is not exceeded. Pumping is maintained in 5 wells primarily to supply 

 water to domestic users. During the balance of the year, 18 to 19 wells are generally utilized at 

 any given time. 



SaskPower's license for the Regional Dewatering project was due to expire at the end of 1996, but 

 was extended by Sask Water. Sask Water intends to re-issue the license, but will include 

 conditions requiring termination of pumping (with the exception of wells supplying domestic 

 users) when the reservoir is above a specified level. Sask Water is currently undertaking a 

 hydrology study to determine the best reservoir level for a ground water pumping cutoff. 



Operation of SaskPower's salinity project continued in 1996 with 7 wells producing 827 danf (670 

 ac-ft) of ground water during the year. (An eighth well is located along the international 

 boundary, but has never been operated.) This represents a decrease in production from 1995 when 

 1,017 dam^ (824 ac-ft) were pumped. The reduction is primarily due to the wells being shut down 



