Golden Sheaf Regional Park - Rattlesnake/Sauder Reservoir

Managed by North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper

Boasting the largest number of camping spots (454) of any park on a reservoir in southern Alberta, Golden Sheaf Park offers many campers an opportunity to enjoy the out of doors in the Medicine Hat region. A limited number of those campsites have power. Children enjoy the floating dock in the cordoned-off swimming area, adding to the fun at the beach. Groups can book the camp kitchen, and wide open spaces are available for games. There’s also lots of room for RVs and tents.

Mature walleye await the fisherman and some large walleye and pike have been caught in these waters that reach a depth of 22 m (72 ft). Sauder reservoir is part of the St. Mary Irrigation District system – don’t let the locals scare you away with the local name, “Rattlesnake Reservoir” – they just want to keep the fun to themselves.

This beach gets busy in the summer months with people from the Medicine Hat area.

WATER QUALITY

No data available
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on September 7th, 2016. North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

CURRENT WEATHER

16°C

Mostly clear

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MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

This site is usually sampled on a weekly basis for thermotolerant coliforms and at varying frequencies for cyanobacteria and microcystins (blue-green algae) during the summer months.

Water quality is monitored in accordance with standards outlined in a previous version of the General Nuisance and Sanitation Regulation, under Alberta’s Public Health Act. New standards are currently being developed.

Thermotolerant coliforms serve as an indicator of faecal contamination, which poses a human health risk. Guidelines recommend that a water quality advisory be posted when tests for thermotolerant coliforms over the preceding 30 days produce results with a geometric mean greater than 200 colony forming units per 100 millilitres of water (200 CFU/100ml). An advisory may also be issued when any single sample exceeds 400 CFU/100ml, although this may first lead to further investigation.

When a Water Quality Advisory is issued, a notice is erected at the beach indicating that the location is unfit for swimming or bathing. In addition, a Water Quality Advisory is issued through the AHS website, local media, and Swim Guide. Swim Guide posts all advisories that are announced, but is not able to directly share monitoring data for this beach on an ongoing basis. Therefore, the swim icon will appear grey, and any posted advisories will appear on the beach page. An advisory is rescinded once water quality meets the above standards.

In addition to thermotolerant coliforms, AHS monitors blue-green algae throughout the swimming season. Algal blooms are monitored through visual observation and through testing for cyanobacteria and microcystins (toxins produced by blue-green algae).

AHS issues a Blue-Green Algae Advisory when a bloom is identified. Advisories are posted online to www.albertahealthservices.ca/1926.asp, circulated by local media, and posted to Swim Guide. Appropriate signage is posted around the water body (public beaches, access points, campgrounds, etc). These advisories remain in place for the duration that the health risk persists.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH