Gouverneur and Braddock Dams - Geotechnical Review

Corporate Management Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is the owner/operator of infrastructure and land associated with twenty nine (29) water storage projects in southern Saskatchewan. These works were among the many built between 1935 and 1960 as part of PFRA’s legislated mandate to help stabilize and contribute to the economic security of the drought prone regions of western Canada. Gouverneur Dam is located near the Towns of Ponteix and Cadillac, Saskatchewan, and provides irrigation, stock watering, recreation, flood protection, rural domestic and municipal water supplies for the area. Braddock Dam is located near the Village of Braddock, Saskatchewan and provides water for irrigation, stock watering and recreation.

AAFC manages these dams in accordance with the principles and practices of the Canadian Dam Association (CDA) Dam Safety Guidelines (2007). Gouverneur Dam is classified as High Consequence due to the potential for loss of life and economic losses that are possible in the event of failure. The classification for the Braddock Dam is also High Consequence due to flood damage that would result in the Town of Hodgeville and to rural properties in the event of failure. As such, CDA Guidelines require the monitoring efforts meet industry standards to ensure the continued safety of the public and water storage operations. 2013 Dam Safety Reviews also identified the need to modernize the instrumentation and monitoring program to meet these standards.

For both the Gouverneur and Braddock Dams, AAFC requires a full geotechnical review. The review shall include drilling to obtain samples for testing in order to complete stability analysis at both sites. The review shall also include an assessment of the geotechnical instrumentation requirements with recommendations for the instrumentation and monitoring programs that can be implemented as part of the drilling program at both sites.