CLIENT: Town of Ladysmith
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Stocking Lake Dam supplies drinking water to the Town of Ladysmith (ToL) and the Saltair Water Improvement District within the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). In response to anticipated growth-driven increases in water demand, ToL retained PRI to investigate the feasibility of increasing reservoir storage capacity while addressing remediation items identified in the 2018 Dam Safety Review — which was also completed by PRI. The project has progressed through feasibility, conceptual, and preliminary design phases, and is currently advancing through detailed design, with construction anticipated to begin in Spring or Summer 2027.
CHALLENGE:
The project presented a complex intersection of aging infrastructure, regulatory requirements, and future servicing demands. Remediation needs identified through the Dam Safety Review, combined with the requirement to increase storage capacity, ultimately determined that a completely new dam structure was required rather than modifications to the existing facility. This elevated the scope and complexity of the assignment considerably, requiring a phased design process to evaluate options, establish an optimal solution, and advance through the full regulatory and permitting pathway, including a new water license application and environmental studies, while coordinating the interests of multiple water utility stakeholders.
APPROACH:
PRI led the project through a structured, multi-phase design program. The conceptual design phase developed and evaluated design concepts with associated cost estimates to support informed decision-making by ToL and the CVRD. A preliminary design phase followed, assessing the chosen optimal design solution in greater detail. PRI is currently completing the detailed design and plan submission report for submission to the Dam Safety Office (DSO), incorporating associated environmental studies and required permitting, including a new water license. Upon finalization of the design, PRI will complete dam breach inundation mapping using HEC-RAS 2D and a revised consequence classification assessment. PRI will also support ToL and the CVRD through tendering and contract administration, and will provide engineering services during and post-construction.
OUTCOME:
PRI’s continuous involvement — from the original 2018 Dam Safety Review through to detailed design and forthcoming construction support — has provided ToL and the CVRD with consistent, informed engineering leadership across the full lifecycle of this critical water supply asset. The structured phased approach has enabled stakeholders to make well-supported decisions at each milestone, culminating in a detailed design that addresses both the regulatory remediation requirements and the long-term storage needs of a growing region. Construction is anticipated to commence in Spring or Summer 2027, at which point PRI will continue to provide engineering oversight through to project completion.