Water pumping in Gull Lake to begin April 1

PONOKA COUNTY -- The province says that water pumping in Gull Lake is expected to get underway as of April 1 of next year.

This comes as part of an effort to restore the lake's water levels, which have fallen drastically in recent years. According to the Gull Lake Watershed Society, the situation continues to deteriorate year over year, with levels falling to historic lows in 2024.

In a statement issued last week by Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson, efforts to boost the lake's water levels will begin in the spring.

"A filtration system has been approved and will be installed on the current pumps," said Johnson. "It should be ready to go and pumping by April 1, 2026. This is meant to stabilize the lake but will likely not be enough to restore it or save it completely."

Meantime, the Gull Lake Watershed Society says that the decreasing water levels are concerning for a variety of reasons. The first being that the diminished water volume will allow for higher temperatures in the lake, which will create ideal conditions for new algae blooms, while providing less oxygen for marine life. They also add that this could also reduce recreational visitors to Ponoka County and also dry out the shorelines.

"Gull Lake has the oldest provincial park in Alberta and draws tens of thousands of visitors every year. Over 3000 residents also call this place home. It is a sanctuary for wildlife, a reservoir for agriculture, drinking water, and potential fire-fighting, and a recreation destination for the entire province," said Johnson. "It is also disappearing. Over 100 years of data collection show the lake is not sustainable and without continued intervention, it will dry up."

The decrease in water levels at Gull Lake was first noted around 1960, but has picked up pace over the past ten years. While license volume adds about two-and-a-half inches a year -- slightly more than the historic rate of loss -- it's noted that the current levels are nearly a meter below target.

Johnson was joined by Premier Danielle Smith at Gull Lake last week.