Alameda Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alameda Dam |
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Alameda Dam reservoir
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| Location | Enniskillen No. 3, near Alameda, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°15′32″N 102°13′51″W / 49.25889°N 102.23083°W |
| Opening date | 1994 |
| Owner(s) | Saskatchewan Watershed Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Height | 42 metres (138 ft) |
| Length | 1,660 metres (5,450 ft) |
| Spillway capacity | 1,400 cubic metres (49,000 cu ft) per second |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 105,000,000 cubic metres (3.7×109 cu ft) |
| Surface area | 12.4 square kilometres (4.8 sq mi) |
| Maximum water depth | 35 metres (115 ft) |
The Alameda Dam is a large structure built to control water flow. It's located in Saskatchewan, Canada, near the towns of Alameda and Oxbow. This important dam was finished in 1994. Its main jobs are to prevent floods and help farmers water their crops. It also protects places like Minot, North Dakota in the United States. The reservoir behind the dam is a great spot for fun activities like boating and fishing.
The reservoir can hold a lot of water. When it's full, it contains about 105 million cubic meters of water. The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency owns and operates this big project.
Contents
Understanding the Dam's Design
The Alameda Dam is an embankment dam. This means it's built mostly from earth and rock. It's designed to hold back a large amount of water safely.
How Big is the Alameda Dam?
The dam is quite long, stretching about 1,660 meters (5,446 feet). It stands tall at 42 meters (138 feet) high. To build it, workers used about 2.9 million cubic meters (102 million cubic feet) of earth.
Controlling Water Flow: The Spillway
A special part of the dam is its spillway. This is like a safety valve for the dam. It's 224 meters (735 feet) long. The spillway can release a lot of water very quickly, up to 1,400 cubic meters (49,440 cubic feet) per second. This helps prevent the reservoir from overflowing during heavy rains or snowmelt.
Releasing Water for Nature and Farms
The dam also has a low-level outlet. This is a special pipe or tunnel that lets water out from the bottom of the reservoir. This water is important for two reasons:
- It helps keep the river healthy downstream.
- It provides water for irrigation, helping farmers grow their crops.
The Reservoir: A Large Body of Water
The reservoir behind the dam is quite big. At its fullest, it covers an area of about 12.4 square kilometers (4.8 square miles). The land that drains water into this reservoir is even larger, covering about 2,140 square kilometers (826 square miles).
Working Together: Canada and the US
The Alameda Dam works closely with another dam called the Rafferty Dam. Both dams help control the flow of the Souris River. This is important for preventing floods in places like Minot, North Dakota, in the United States. Because the river flows across the border, Canada and the United States have an international agreement on how to operate these dams. A small team of about five people works full-time to manage both the Alameda and Rafferty dams.
Images for kids
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Spillway at Grant Devine Dam, showing hydraulically operated vertical lift gates.
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Grant Devine Reservoir, viewed from Moose Creek Regional Park
