Like a giant centipede, the Brooks Aqueduct spans a shallow 3.2 km wide valley, suspending a concrete sling twenty metres above the parched prairie landscape. Once filled to overflowing with precious water bound for the thirsty croplands of southwestern Alberta, today it holds only memories. Erected over eighty years ago by the Canadian Pacific Railway's irrigation division to serve as a vital link in its expansive irrigation network. The Aqueduct stretched the limits of engineering design and technology then, just as it stretches the imagination today. Preserved and interpreted through the combined efforts of the Government of Alberta, Environment Canada, the Eastern Irrigation District, and the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, the Brooks Aqueduct stands as a monument to pioneers who developed the region.
Interpretive guides offer site tours and public programs.