The Irrigation Story: A Self-Drive Tour of the Water that Built our Region

The Irrigation Story: A Self-Drive Tour of the Water That Built the Brooks Newell Region

The City of Brooks Brooks and the County of Newell wouldn’t exist without irrigation. Not “wouldn’t be the same” — wouldn’t exist. This stretch of southern Alberta was part of Palliser’s Triangle, land so dry and unpredictable that early surveyors wrote it off as unfit for settlement. Everything you see today — the grain fields, the greenhouses, the city itself — was built on a decision made over a century ago to move water from the Bow River to land that had none.

This self-drive itinerary follows that water from source to tap. From the dam that diverts it, through the aqueduct that carried it across a valley, into a reservoir that stores it, and finally to the market stalls and taproom where you can taste what it made possible. Plan on a full day or split it over two if you want time to linger at the lake.

Stop 1: Bassano Dam — Where the Story Starts

Every drop of water in the Eastern Irrigation District begins here. Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CPR) between 1910 and 1914, the Bassano Dam diverts water from the Bow River into a network that now stretches across more than 4,000 km of irrigation infrastructure, including 13 reservoirs. It helped make possible the creation of the Eastern Irrigation District in 1935, when a group of local farmers approached the CPR with a proposal to take over management of the irrigation system.

Pull off at the scenic lookout for a view of the dam and river valley. From the viewpoint, you can also see the emergency spillway, constructed between 2016 and 2019 following the major 2013 flood. It is a great place to stop and take in the view while learning about the history and engineering behind the Bassano Dam and the irrigation system it feeds.

Location: 9 km southwest of Bassano, Alberta

Stop 2: Brooks Aqueduct — River in the Sky

From Bassano, head back toward Brooks to the Brooks Aqueduct, a 3.2 km concrete structure that once carried irrigation water 20 metres above the prairie to reach the land around Millicent, Patricia and Tilley. Completed in 1914, it was one of the most ambitious engineering projects in Canada at the time and is now both a national and provincial historic site.

The aqueduct stopped carrying water in 1979, replaced by an earth-fill canal, but it’s still standing — a strange, striking thing to see rising out of flat farmland. Self-guided tours are available, and there’s a historical write-up on-site for anyone who wants the full engineering story.

Location: Range Road 142, County of Newell, about 8 km southeast of Brooks

Stop 3: Brooks & District Museum — The Human Side of the Story

The dam and the aqueduct tell you how the water moved. The museum tells you who moved it, and who came after to farm the land it reached. Built in 1974 on seven acres east of Brooks, the museum’s “Walk Through the Ages” collection covers the CPR, the North-West Mounted Police, the ranching era, and the settlers who took on irrigation charges they often couldn’t afford in the district’s early, difficult years.

It’s a manageable stop, an hour or so, but it’s the piece that turns the dam and the aqueduct from engineering curiosities into a settlement story.

Location: 1269 Sutherland Dr E, Brooks | 403-362-5073

Stop 4: Lake Newell — The Reservoir That Made It Work

South of Brooks, Lake Newell Reservoir is what all that infrastructure was built to fill. Created in 1914 as the EID’s main storage reservoir, it’s the largest human-made lake in Alberta and, thanks to its shallow depth, one of the warmest. It still irrigates 40% of the district and supplies raw water for the treatment of drinking water to Brooks and the County of Newell, but it’s also become the region’s favourite place to spend a summer afternoon.

Kinbrook Island Provincial Park sits on the eastern shore with a sandy beach, a wetlands interpretive trail, and a campground if you want to stretch the trip into an overnight. For boaters, Lake Newell Resort Marina has launches, slips, fuel and supplies. Either way, it’s worth an hour or two, and it’s the stop where the “irrigation story” finally looks like the reason people move here.

Location: Kinbrook Island Provincial Park, about 13 km south of Brooks

Stop 5: EID Historical Park, Scandia — Where the Land Fed the Rails

South of Lake Newell Reservoir, the hamlet of Scandia holds the part of the story that doesn’t make it onto a postcard: what irrigation actually grew, and where it went. Settlers arrived here starting in 1917, drawn by the promise of water on land that had none. The EID Historical Park preserves that era across 17 acres, including the 1927 Alberta Wheat Pool grain elevator and the Bow Slope Shipping Yards, where cattle, sheep and pigs raised and finished on the district’s irrigated feed crops were once weighed and loaded onto rail cars.

It’s also the thread that connects this whole story to what’s on your plate later. The alfalfa, barley and silage grown on irrigated land here still feed cattle in the area’s feedlots today, and Brooks is home to one of Canada’s largest beef packing plants as a direct result. The dam didn’t just grow crops — it built a beef town.

Location: Scandia, Alberta, on Highway 36 south of Brooks

Stop 6: Brooks Farmer’s Market — The Water, Grown

Back in Brooks, this is where the irrigation story becomes something you can eat. The Brooks Farmer’s Market runs Thursdays from 2 to 6pm at Veteran’s Park (beside City Hall) from June through late September, with local growers, bakers and makers selling produce grown on irrigated land in the area. If your visit lands on a Thursday in season, this is a natural stop before dinner. If it doesn’t, downtown Brooks has shops and cafés worth a walk-through.

Location: Veteran’s Park, 201 1st Ave W, Brooks (Thursdays, June–late September, 2–6pm)

Where to Eat: Taste the Beef Story

Before you finish your day at the brewery, it’s time to taste test what all that irrigation actually produces. Two local options carry the story well:

• Brooks Hotel — a downtown institution since 1909, known locally for the famous Brooks Hotel Sandwich, piled onto thick-cut homemade-style bread, and its Pub Steak Sandwich. 18+ only.
• HomeTime Bar-B-Que and Bakery — brisket, smoked meats and a full bakery counter under one roof.

Stop 7: Piston Broke Brewing — The Last Ingredient

Finish where some of the water ends up: in a glass. Piston Broke Brewing, is Brooks’ first craft brewery, pouring beers like the Raspbiscus Fruit Ale and the Smokestack IPA. Family-friendly, the patio is pet-friendly, and after a day tracing a century of irrigation history, it’s a fitting place to enjoy your evening.

Location: 350 9th Street East, Brooks

Planning Your Day

With Scandia added, this loop runs longer than a quick afternoon drive — figure a full day if you want time at each stop or split it over two days with a night at Kinbrook Island or at one of our Preferred Hotels. A workable order: Bassano Dam and the Brooks Aqueduct in the morning, the museum around midday, then south to Lake Newell and Scandia in the afternoon before looping back into Brooks for dinner, the market (if it’s a Thursday), and the brewery.

Before you go, check the EID Historical Park’s seasonal hours, and the Farmer’s Market dates if you want to catch it – they also run one Saturday a month June – September.

If it’s here, it started at the dam.