Water Supply Study for the City of Grande Prairie, Alberta, December, 1961

The following outline of the sequence of events concerning the Grande Prairie water supply problem is based on correspondence, annual reports and manuscripts of the Alberta Research Council and on the December 1961 report of Stanley, Grimble and Roblin Limited.

Stanley, Grimble and Roblin Limited was retained by the City of Grande Prairie in March 1957 and again in August 1959 to prepare a report on the water resources available in the vicinity of the city. An interim report was submitted in November 1957, and a more comprehensive report in December 1961.

In October 1959, Dr. D. Stanley visited the Research Council and discussed the Grande Prairie survey.

The Research Council suggested to:

1.explore the gravel bars along the present river channel

2.test drill across the wide valley between Grande Prairie and uplands to the west of the city, along the highway (possible buried gravels); and

3.check possibilities of artificial recharge into terrace gravels.

Preliminary investigations were carried out by Stanley, Grimble and Roblin, Ltd., on the gravel deposits along the Wapiti River in 1959.

By early February 1960, both Council and Stanley, Grimble and Roblin Ltd., were aware that water-saturated gravels existed in considerable thickness adjacent to the Wapiti River south of Grande Prairie. A test-drilling program to evaluate the groundwater potential of river-terrace gravels along the Wapiti River at Wembley and Grande Prairie. Jones' report made certain predictions based on pump-test results and presumed the terrace to consist of clean coarse gravels; the primary prediction was that wells spaced 500 feet apart yielding 200 gallons of water per minute were feasible with a 15-foot thickness of water bearing gravels.