2024 Top 50 Water Projects Report - Report - Page 10
TOP 50 WATER PROJECTS 2024
2
Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects
$4 billion
Location: Southern Saskatchewan
Owner: Province of Saskatchewan,
Water Security Agency
Substantial Completion: 2034
THE LAKE DIEFENBAKER Irrigation Projects will take roughly 10 years
to build out and will provide generational benefits that are expected
to transform the future of Saskatchewan. In addition to the impact of
thousands of construction jobs, the projects will have a lasting effect on
the province’s agricultural economy and long-term food security. Reliable
moisture will unlock tremendous potential for agriculture and businesses
in Saskatchewan. Irrigation supports the growth of diverse, high-value
crops and increases employment, business attraction, investment, and
value-added processing.
This project is the continuation of the vision that first created Lake
Diefenbaker. In addition to completing and opening the existing Westside
10
WATER C AN ADA’S TOP 50 WATER PRO JEC T S
Irrigation Project, the Qu’Appelle South Water Conveyance Project will expand
the reach and result in a completely new canal system extending all the way
to Buffalo Pound Lake to serve the areas of Tugaske, Eyebrow, and Marquis.
In addition to its key role in global food security, irrigation also improves
climate change resiliency. Lake Diefenbaker offers a large, sustainable
supply of good quality fresh water. When the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation
Projects are completed, that water will provide more than 500,000 acres of
agricultural land in southern and central Saskatchewan, and is estimated to
help increase Saskatchewan’s gross domestic product between $40 billion to
$80 billion over the next 50 years. The project is still in the pre-construction
phase that includes consultations, surveying, and engineering work. •
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
