Sandy Shores Marina
200-slip marina designed around significant water level and environmental constraints.
Client: Lake Life Properties
Location: Lake Diefenbaker, SK
Project Type: Buildings
About This Project
Sandy Shores Marina is a 200-slip recreational marina located on Lake Diefenbaker, a reservoir on the South Saskatchewan River. The project involved a large excavation within an existing coulee to create the marina basin, with design and construction complicated by the reservoir water levels that can fluctuate by up to nine metres.
As Prime Consultant, ISL coordinated hydrotechnical, environmental science, archaeology, and geotechnical disciplines and managed tenders for earthworks, foundations, a pedestrian bridge, gangway, and dock contractors. The project also required close coordination with a $4-billion expansion of the adjacent irrigation pump station and canal to keep both projects progressing without conflict.
To manage Lake Diefenbaker’s significant water level fluctuations, ISL reviewed historic water levels and aligned construction with the reservoir’s winter drawdown. This allowed the deepest excavation and piling work to occur when water levels were lowest. An earthen cofferdam facilitated pile driving and dock installation in dry conditions, while a silt curtain installed through the ice allowed channel dredging outside the cofferdam.
Environmental requirements were another important consideration. ISL coordinated regulatory approvals and design reviews with multiple federal and provincial agencies, incorporated fish habitat features into the design, and scheduled construction around fish timing windows. Approximately 390,000 cubic metres of excavation was completed, with the project finishing on schedule in May 2022 before the spring flows arrived.
Key Features
- 200-slip recreational marina
- 390,000 m3 of excavation
- Up to 9 metres of water level variation
- Winter drawdown construction strategy
- Fish habitat and environmental mitigation
- Multi-disciplinary prime consultant services
