The Town of Blackfalds is joining forces with Lacombe County and the City of Lacombe to create a long-term plan for Lacombe Lake. A $200,000 grant from the Alberta Community Partnership program will cover the project, with work starting this summer.
The management plan is needed because of a Water Act approval for Blackfalds’ Northwest Stormwater Management System. Part of that system drains into the lake, which sits between Blackfalds and Lacombe in central Alberta. The lake is shallow, about three kilometres long and 500 metres wide, with a maximum depth of about three metres.
Lacombe County council recently gave the go-ahead and appointed Coun. Mark Visscher to the steering committee, with Coun. Brenda Knight as his alternate. Community input will be a big part of the process. Public meetings and consultations are expected to start this winter and run through summer 2027. A draft plan will follow, and the final version should be adopted by late 2027 or early 2028.
County Manager Tim Timmons said the plan directly tackles ongoing water level concerns. “One of the benefits is we still have this outstanding issue of lake elevation and the discharge from the lake,” he said. “Hopefully, we’re going to be able to resolve that issue through the development of a plan.”
A weir built in the 1960s to manage water levels has led to years of disagreement among property owners. In 2024, the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board rejected a resident appeal against the stormwater system, finding it met provincial standards. The board recommended moving ahead with a full lake plan to address broader watershed issues. Water quality testing in 2022 found the lake is moderately productive, with algae toxins well below recreational guidelines.
