The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has allocated C$50,000 to the Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation to support participation in the federal environmental assessment of the proposed Tazi Twe Hydroelectric Project in Saskatchewan.
This funding was made available to the public and Aboriginal groups through the Participant Funding Program, the agency said Aug 9. It will enable participation in upcoming steps of the environmental assessment, which include reviewing and providing comments on the Environmental Impact Statement and on the draft Environmental Assessment Report.
Black Lake First Nation and Saskatchewan Power are proposing the construction and operation of a 42-MW-to-50 MW water diversion type station at Elizabeth Falls. The proposed project, originally called the Elizabeth Falls project with a recent name change to Tazi Twe, would be located adjacent to the Fond du Lac River between Black Lake and Middle Lake, on Black Lake First Nation Reserve lands in northern Saskatchewan.
When completed, the principal components of the proposed project will consist of:
- an approximately 8.5 kilometer long connecting gravel access road to the proposed project site from the all-season road between Stony Rapids and Black Lake communities; a bridge over the Fond du Lac River;
- a powerhouse and associated infrastructure;
- an approximately 2.65 kilometer tunnel from Black Lake to the powerhouse, using a portion of the water that would typically flow down the Fond du Lac River from Black Lake to Middle Lake;
- an approximately 1,100 meter long tailrace channel between the powerhouse and its re-entry into the Fond du Lac River upstream of Middle Lake;
- a submerged weir in the Fond du Lac River at the outlet of Black Lake, to maintain water levels and fish habitat in Black Lake; and
- an approximately 20 kilometer long transmission line and switching station to connect into the northern Saskatchewan electrical grid.
