The Town of Cochrane is going to be speaking with Rocky View County (RVC) about pumping water out of Cochrane Lake and funneling it into Horse Creek, which the county has been forced to do each spring and summer to avoid flooding in the area.
Sarah Leete of the Little Creeks and Rough Fescue Appreciation Society (LCARF) spoke to Cochrane council Nov. 12 about the negative effect pumping from Cochrane Lake is having on Horse Creek.
LCARF has been monitoring water quality in Horse Creek for two years now, and was before council to request funding for one additional year.
Leete pointed out some of the findings from LCARF’s work on Horse Creek, particularly what pumping water from Cochrane Lake has done to the creek’s water quality.
The findings include an increase in electrical conductivity (salt); double the amount of phosphorus, including being present in particulate form; and suspended sediment, which can cover important fish spawning habitats.
LCARF conducts 10 testing sessions each year on Horse Creek, starting in April.
Leete said that although Cochrane Lake and much of Horse Creek falls on county land, the town should be concerned by the findings due to the fact that Horse Creek discharges into the Bow River a short distance upstream from the town’s water treatment plant.
Leete said the amount of water that is currently being pumped out of the Bow River and into the raw water reservoir at Cochrane Lake should be reduced, as it is part of the cause of the runoff into Cochrane Lake.
“They need to go back right to the very beginning and look at the water levels,” Leete said.
RVC has been pumping water out of Cochrane Lake each summer under direction of Alberta Environment.
In August of 2012, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development ordered the developer, Jeff Colvin, and Regional Water Services, which provides treated water and sewer to the community, to lower the water levels of Cochrane Lake. The county, however, has been forced to do so, as the developer has not, due to financial difficulties.
Cochrane mayor Ivan Brooker said the town would be discussing this matter with the county in the coming months.
LCARF’s funding request for 2014 is $8,000; it received $4,000 in 2013.
Council approved an additional $400,000 to go toward the 2013 East End Road Improvements capital project, increasing the total price tag from $2 million to $2.4 million.
The reason for the setback was the June floods, which brought about additional costs, such as importing dry fill and soil conditioning, engineering project support and completing surface and underground force accounts.
The additional funding was directed from the Basic Municipal Transportation Grant. The grant was also used, but not in full, to upgrade the Highway 22 and James Walker Trail intersection; the remainder was diverted to the East End project.
