McDonald Lake, also known as Rafferty Reservoir, is a reservoir in south-east Saskatchewan, Canada. It was created when the Rafferty Dam was built on the Souris River in 1994. Before the dam was built that flooded the Souris Valley, McDonald Lake was a small lake and marsh on the valley floor adjacent to the Souris River. The reservoir provides water to the Shand Power Station and to the city of

Estevan Estevan is the eighth-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is approximately north of the Canada–United States border. The Souris River runs by the city. This city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5. History The ...

. A 10-kilometre long pipeline supplies the power station and a 9.2-km long pipeline, which originates along the Souris River river bed at the bottom of the reservoir, brings water to the Estevan water treatment plant. The water pipeline that brings water to Estevan was completed in 2020 after a three-year project that changed the source of Estevan's drinking water away from Boundary Dam Reservoir.

Mainprize Regional Park

Mainprize Regional Park () is a park in the rural municipality of

RM of Cymri No. 36 The Rural Municipality of Cymri No. 36 ( 2016 population: ) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 2 and Division No. 1. It is located in the southeast portion of the province. Hi ...

. The regional park is operated by a park authority with offices in Midale. The park includes an 18-hole golf course, Pederson Place (a multi-purpose hall), a beach area on McDonald Lake, water plant, camp groups, and a residential cottage subdivisions. The park is located near the north-west end of the lake, on the eastern shore.

Rafferty Dam

Rafferty Dam is located at the south-eastern corner of the lake, 4.8 km upstream from Estevan. It was built in conjunction with the

Grant Devine Dam The Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', is an embankment dam located near Alameda, and Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was constructed in 1994 to control flows on the Moose Mountain Creek, and Souris River. It provides flood protection ...

(formally known as ''Alameda Dam''), which was built further downstream on Moose Mountain Creek, which is a tributary of the Souris River. Both dams are operated by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. The dam and reservoir provide flood control along the Souris River, irrigation, and recreation. The height of the top of the dam is 555 metres above sea level. The maximum height available for flood control is 554 metres. The normal full supply level is 550.5 and the normal drawdown level is 549.5 metres. The maximum draw down is 547.5 metres above sea level. At full supply, the reservoir covers an area of 4,881 hectares. A 10-kilometre long spillway connects the Boundary Dam Reservoir to McDonald Lake, allowing excess water to flow into McDonald Lake. The flow can also be reversed if necessary.

Gallery

File:McDonald Lake Saskatchewan sunset.jpg, Sunset on McDonald Lake File:Estevan P1000957 (578772934).jpg, McDonald Lake File:Estevan P1000975 (578822787).jpg, McDonald Lake File:Rafferty Dam 04.jpg, The dam's spillway File:Rafferty Dam 03.jpg, The dam's riparin outlet File:Rafferty Dam 01.jpg, The information sign at the look out at Rafferty Dam

References

External links

Park Description
* {{Authority control Lakes of Saskatchewan Dams in Saskatchewan Dams completed in 1994 Cymri No. 36, Saskatchewan Division No. 2, Saskatchewan

Mainprize Regional Park

Rafferty Dam

Gallery

See also

References

External links