As part of the Alberta government’s commitment to flood mitigation, Robin Campbell, minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, revealed plans for a proposed storage reservoir near Springbank Road and the McLean Creek dry dam.
Announced April 30, both projects would significantly curb the flow of the Elbow River in the event of a flood.
“Our government is committed to ensuring Albertans are protected as much as possible from future flood events while at the same time respecting taxpayers’ dollars,” said Campbell. “Moving forward with the projects and funding announced (April 30) is an important step toward reducing the impact of future floods on Alberta’s people, infrastructure, economy and environment.”
The proposed Springbank Road off-stream reservoir will be located about 15 kilometres west of Calgary near Springbank Road, east of Highway 22.
The reservoir would temporarily divert and store flood water, releasing it back into the Elbow River — in a controlled manner — once water levels subside. It would have a storage capacity of 59 million cubic metres.
While Rocky View County Reeve Margaret Bahcheli said she had known the Springbank area was being assessed by provincial officials, the April 30th announcement was the first she’d heard of the off-stream reservoir.
She said county council has requested additional data from the Province regarding the mitigation project.
“We’re at the very beginning stages of the process,” said Bahcheli. “The information needs to be reviewed.
“I need to see the costs, understand how many landowners will be impacted and whether those impacts will be negative or positive.”
Jason Penner, a public affairs officer with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD), said the province has been in ongoing consultations with municipalities throughout southern Alberta about flood mitigation projects. He added that some of the projects have come together more quickly than others.
At this point, the reservoir has been approved for engineering design, said Penner.
“It’s been determined the Springbank Road location is a nice, natural spot to have a reservoir,” he said. “It would be a relatively low-impact project, in terms of infrastructure and environment.”
The Springbank project consists of a diversion weir on the Elbow River, a 4.5-kilometre long canal to carry water from the river to the reservoir and improvements to natural channels to release water back to the Elbow.
Penner said the reservoir could also be used to store water in the event of a drought.
The dry dam would be constructed upstream of the Hamlet of Bragg Creek, at the confluence of McLean Creek and the Elbow River, according to the Province. The structure would provide flood mitigation for Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows and Calgary.
The proposed dam will stand 50 metres in height with a storage capacity of 49 million cubic metres. Project construction would require the relocation of a portion of Highway 66 and the highway’s bridge over the Elbow River.
“The dry dam would be upstream of Bragg Creek — a major tourist and recreation destination,” remarked Bahcheli. “County council is interested in learning about any projects that would protect the property and residents of the county.”
A decision on this project will be made after the feasibility study on Calgary’s underground diversion is complete; the study should be submitted to Calgary city council near the end of June, said Penner.
Penner said both projects have been priced at $190 million, but more accurate costs will be determined as the projects continue to be developed.
The Alberta government has committed $600 million over the next three years to fund high priority flood mitigation projects.
Community consultations will be scheduled to discuss the reservoir and dry dam. Dates and locations have yet to be decided, said Penner.
