McGregor Reservoir Structures

The McGregor Reservoir is one of three main irrigation storage reservoirs located within the Carseland-Bow River Headworks system. The McGregor Reservoir is approximately 33 km in length with the north end of the reservoir located approximately 100 km southeast of the City of Calgary near the town of Milo. At its full supply level of 874.38 m, the reservoir has a surface area of approximately 5,300 ha and a corresponding live storage capacity of 358 900 dam³. The reservoir is contained within two earthfill dams referred to as the North and South McGregor Dams. The dams are approximately 15 m in height and were originally constructed by the Southern Alberta Land Company Ltd. commencing in 1910 with significant upgrades carried out by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration in the 1950s. The CBRH system diverts water from the Bow River through approximately 65 km of canal into the McGregor Reservoir. An irrigation control structure and outlet canal release water downstream into Travers and Little Bow Reservoirs and eventually into the Bow River Irrigation District canal.
The dams, irrigation structures and canals were either rehabilitated or replaced in order to increase flow capacity in the system and ensure methods of flood handling are in accordance with CDA guidelines. The project team included Klohn Crippen Berger, Mack Slack & Associates Inc. and MPE Engineering Ltd. Mack, Slack and Associates’ responsibility included hydraulic and structural design and MPE Engineering was responsible for mechanical and electrical design and surveys. Design commenced in 2001, construction commenced in 2004 with completion in 2009.

• Site investigations
• Conceptual, preliminary & final design
• Contracting
• Construction administration & commissioning