Water restrictions mean no top-ups for Calgary’s manmade lakes starting June 1

Calgarians are being encouraged to do their part to conserve water ahead of drought conditions this summer.

Those living in lake communities could pay even more for water services and the upkeep of their manmade lakes as a result.

The water use advisory in the city means as of June 1, there will be no more filling or top-ups of Calgary’s manmade lakes.

Sundance Lake, for example, relies heavily on precipitation to maintain water levels.

CityNews spoke with Christie Springs, the general manager of Lake Sundance’s Residents’ Association, earlier this spring.

“We are a closed system at Lake Sundance, so we are not directly connected to any of the local rivers or tributaries,” she said. “Yes, drought would affect our lake levels, because we’re just the same as the province with precipitation and not seeing the snowfall and rainfall we were hoping to.”

Springs says those planning on swimming at the lake may need to pick up their feet around aquatic life.

“When you have lower water levels in the lake, you might see more plant growth closer to the the shoreline because the sun penetrates the water and the plants thrive a little bit better,” she explained.

The community is also following other recommendations from the city in a bid to conserve water.

“We modified our flower order this year to have less plants and to include drought-resistant varieties of plants,” Springs said.

She adds Sundance has the option to get water from the city, but exactly how much — and the cost — is out of their hands.

“The city dictates how much, when, and what the price of that water would be,” Springs said.

Lakeside communities are also worried about how much it costs to repair lake liners, should water levels recede too much.

The city’s largest manmade lake, in Mahogany, is entirely filled with tap water. Sally Lockhart with the Mahogany Homeowners’ Association said that this year, it might come with a hefty price tag, venturing into the millions.

Homeowners on social media have expressed frustration with this revelation.

A briefing note from the city says they pay much more for water between June and August than they do the rest of the year.