The Saskatchewan government and the Water Security Agency (WSA) are celebrating more than $15 million in upgrades to Rafferty Dam, a project officials say will strengthen water security and flood protection in the southeast for decades. At a ceremony near the dam on Wednesday, WSA president and CEO Sean Jaques, along with provincial ministers, local leaders and project partners, highlighted the investment. “Strong water management that serves and protects our citizens is the Water Security Agency’s number one priority,” Jaques said, noting the work is part of WSA’s 10-year infrastructure rehabilitation plan. The summer projects included drainage piping and spillway repairs, as well as upgrades to the diversion canal that links Boundary and Rafferty reservoirs, allowing excess water to be stored rather than released downstream. In addition, the RM of Estevan completed $2.5 million in road upgrades leading to the dam, narrowing the roadway to standard grid size and applying a stabilization treatment to reduce long-term maintenance costs. Daryl Harrison, minister responsible for the WSA, said the investments are about more than concrete and piping. “Water control infrastructure like dams and reservoirs is vitally important to our communities,” he said. “They ensure clean, reliable water is available where and when it’s needed, store water during dry periods, and help protect our homes and communities from flooding.” Estevan MLA and cabinet minister Lori Carr said the dam has been a cornerstone for the region since construction began in the late 1980s and was completed in 1994, forming Rafferty Reservoir on the Souris River. “Those of us who lived through 2011 know how powerful this valley can be when it floods,” Carr said. “I’m thankful these investments will help ensure strong flood mitigation into the future.” Local leaders also welcomed the improvements. City councillor Kirsten Walliser, speaking on behalf of Mayor Tony Sernick, called the work a strong commitment to Estevan’s residents and business community. RM of Estevan Reeve Jason LeBlanc said the dam was critical during the 2011 flood, when Highway 18 was closed, and it became the only access route for about 1,000 people west of the city. “From that day forward, we realized the importance of it,” LeBlanc said. “Now the road across the dam is built to heavy-haul standards, and it can take anything.” WSA vice-president of infrastructure John Fahlman said the 2011 flood also made clear the need for upgrades across the province. “With any major infrastructure, upgrades need to happen to make sure it’s safe. After 2011, we recognized some improvements were needed, and that’s why we put in a plan to study the rehab of all our major structures, this one included.” Neil Linthicum, WSA supervisor of dam operations and maintenance, said replacing drainage pipes under the spillway was the most critical task. “If they aren’t working properly during a flood, the pressure could cause the spillway to fail, and then the entire dam could fail." He added that the diversion channel is also key, as Boundary Reservoir lacks the same storage capacity as Rafferty. The channel is used every two years on average and can even run in reverse to stabilize Boundary levels for SaskPower’s operations. Construction was scheduled for late summer to avoid the high-risk flood season and is expected to wrap up this fall. The Rafferty upgrades are among several water infrastructure projects being advanced across Saskatchewan under the WSA’s 10-year rehabilitation plan. The agency says it will invest about $38 million in 2025-26 on more than 60 key projects and owns and operates more than 70 dams, reservoirs and supply channels across the province.