Near Brooks in Newell County, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)

Welcome to the Brooks Aqueduct

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), May 30, 2015

1. Welcome to the Brooks Aqueduct Marker

Inscription. In the early 1900s the Canadian Pacific Railroad began construction of a huge irrigation project in Alberta comprising over a million hectares (3 million acres). Part of this original block land grant to the railway is now known as the Eastern Irrigation District (EID). The Bassano Dam and the Brooks Aqueduct were two of the major engineering works required to get the Eastern Section of the CPR's project into operation. An elevated canal was needed to carry Bow River water across a wide but shallow valley in order to supply irrigation for nearly one quarter of the land within what would become the EID. The CPR began construction of the Brooks Aqueduct in 1912, completed it in the fall of 1914 and ran irrigation water through it in the spring of 1915. Stretching over three kilometers, it was the longest concrete structure of its kind in the world and included the technical innovation of an inverted siphon which carried water under the CPR mainline track and up to grade again. Although the Aqueduct carried water for 63 years, escalating maintenance costs and recurring operational issues finally forced the EID to replace it

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with a more efficient earthen canal in 1979.

The Brooks Aqueduct was designated as a Provincial Historic Resource in 1980 and as a National Historic Site in 1983. In 1987 it was declared to be “One of Ten Engineering Milestones in Alberta” by the Engineering Centennial. Interpretation of this nationally significant work of irrigation engineering has been made possible through the cooperative efforts of the Province of Alberta, the Government of Canada, The Eastern Irrigation District, Canadian Badlands Inc., and the former Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.

We hope you will enjoy your visit to the Brooks Aqueduct National/Provincial Historic Site! Please take advantage of the picnic areas, playground and washroom facilities. Our interpreters are available to answer any questions and to deliver guided site tours. You might also like to take a stroll along the Aqueduct with our self-guiding brochure. An exceptional wildlife and wetland viewing area is accessible just over a kilometer down the Aqueduct road. Please stay on the walking paths provided as you explore the site.

Erected by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2022

2. Welcome to the Brooks Aqueduct Marker

Agri-Environment Services Branch.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.

Location. 50° 31.909′ N, 111° 50.285′ W. Marker is near Brooks, Alberta, in Newell County. It can be reached from Range Road 142 0.4 kilometers Township Road 183A Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 142 Range Rd, Brooks AB T0J 3K0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Canadian Badlands.

It is also in the Prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony

and also Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Brooks Aqueduct/L’aqueduc de Brooks (here, next to this marker); Brooks Aqueduct / L'Aqueduc de Brooks (a few steps from this marker); River in the Sky (within shouting distance of this marker); The River Runs Dry (within shouting distance of this marker);

The Brooks Aqueduct image. Click for full size.

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), May 30, 2015

3. The Brooks Aqueduct

a different marker also named River in the Sky (within shouting distance of this marker); Brooks Aqueduct (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named River in the Sky (approx. 1.4 kilometers away); a different marker also named River in the Sky (approx. 1.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooks.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Brooks Aqueduct National Historic Site

Also see . . .
1. Brooks Aqueduct National Historic Site of Canada. More information about the aqueduct, which was designated a national landmark in 1982. (HistoricPlaces.ca) (Submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Brooks Aqueduct. Wikipedia entry on the aqueduct includes its history and legacy. (Submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. The Official Brooks Aqueduct Home Page. Older (1996) website about the aqueduct. Includes information about its construction, maintenance and operation, as well as a photo gallery. (Aqueduct.eidnet.ca)

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(Submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 294 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on June 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.