Brooks Aqueduct
Encyclopedia
The Brooks Aqueduct is a now defunct aqueduct
built by the irrigation division of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Company during the 1910s. The aqueduct stands approximately 8 kilometres south of the town of Brooks, Alberta
.
and proved to do so for about 30 years. In 1969, the Alberta and Canadian governments assumed the responsibility of maintaining the structure under the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. Although it was thought at first that the governments would rebuild the aqueduct, which had been deteriorating for years, it was ultimately shut down and was left as it was.
The aqueduct was one of the largest irrigation projects of its time in southern Alberta and even today, continues to serve the area with the Bassano Dam, which was a key component of the project.
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
built by the irrigation division of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
Company during the 1910s. The aqueduct stands approximately 8 kilometres south of the town of Brooks, Alberta
Brooks, Alberta
Brooks is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada surrounded by the County of Newell. It is located on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway, approximately southeast of Calgary, and northwest of Medicine Hat. The city has an elevation of .- History :The area that is now Brooks was originally...
.
Overview
The main section of the aqueduct spans a 3.2 km valley at an average elevation of 20 metres. The intention of the aqueduct was to irrigate a section of south-eastern AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and proved to do so for about 30 years. In 1969, the Alberta and Canadian governments assumed the responsibility of maintaining the structure under the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. Although it was thought at first that the governments would rebuild the aqueduct, which had been deteriorating for years, it was ultimately shut down and was left as it was.
Legacy
Today it still stands although the structure itself is no longer structurally sound and has been fenced off since the 1970s. The aqueduct and the immediate area surrounding it is now a Canadian National Historic Site.The aqueduct was one of the largest irrigation projects of its time in southern Alberta and even today, continues to serve the area with the Bassano Dam, which was a key component of the project.
Further reading
- http://www.eidnet.org/local/aqueduct/index.htm
- http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/r/ab/sites/brooks_e.asp
Sources
- http://www.eidnet.org/local/aqueduct/index.htm
- http://www.eidnet.org/local/aqueduct/stats.htm
- http://www.eidnet.org/local/aqueduct/fateba.htm
- http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0011268