A labyrinth weir is an effective and economical means of providing increased spillway capacity under some restricted operating conditions. This type of weir is particularly suited to reservoir sites where a low head to high discharge relation is required, the topography restricts the spillway width, and a self-operating structure is highly desirable for emergency operation. Over the past few decades, labyrinth weir spillways have been constructed throughout the world. Definitive guidelines and theoretical procedures pertaining to hydraulic design of this type of weir are not completely established. The designer is confronted with the use of empirical methods for determining spillway configurations which require careful design and verification by use of a hydraulic model. This paper describes the design and hydraulic model study conducted for a labyrinth weir arrangement proposed for the South Heart Dam in northern Alberta. The model study permitted the designers to adopt a more efficient two-cycle weir for the same spillway width as opposed to an initially proposed three-cycle labyrinth weir. Key words: labyrinth weir, spillways, weirs, floods, hydraulic structures, hydraulics.