Calgary flood costs continue to add up

Some big flood numbers have been floating around Calgary in recent weeks. 

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Council approved an additional $95 million in spending and the province announced it's issuing an advanced cheque of $63 million to cover flood spending in Calgary — but there is so much more to come.

In fact, a city report spells out an additional $241 million dollars in potential spending in future years.

While there has been plenty of media coverage on flood damage to the Calgary Zoo, City Hall, Prince's Island Park, Bowness Park and other city facilities, the list is so much longer.

There has been some debate about the future of the McCall Lake Golf Course. The idea is to head off millions in needed upgrades and life-cycle maintenance, part of that land could be sold with the proceeds used for help update other city courses. 

No one has mentioned that pumphouses at the Maple Ridge and Shaganappi golf courses were damaged by the flood. More than half a million dollars has been spent at those two sites and $2.4 million more is potentially needed to bring them up to snuff.

We have heard a bit about sinkholes, as there have been hundreds affecting city streets. How about slope stability which can affect roads and sidewalks?

More bills on the way

The report identifies potentially $15 million for pavement and sidewalk reconstruction and a further $6.4 million could be required for slope repairs, depending on the scope of the problems identified by geo-technical work.

Those sites include the well-publicized Eighth Avenue and 22nd Street area in Inglewood, but there hasn't been much notice of the temporary diversion on Highfield Road S.E. Problems are also believed to exist behind Hill Road and Child Avenue N.E.; Tuscany Estates Point N.W.; Tuscany Hills Bay N.W.; Trafford Crescent N.W.; and the 5300 block of 32nd Avenue N.W.

Many people have noticed riverbank rehabilitation going on at some key sites. Big rocks were dumped into the Bow River on Memorial Drive near 19th Street N.W. and at Third Street N.W. There's also been work at Eighth Avenue and 22nd Street in Inglewood, 52nd Street near Home Road N.W. and the embattled Enmax substation in Douglasdale.

About $11 million has been spent or earmarked so far and the plan calls for an additional $44.4 million to be spent in future years.

Also in the little-noticed category, but with a big price tag, there is assessing and repairing 115 low-medium erosion sites along the Bow and Elbow rivers at a cost of $54.4 million.

There are also 80 spots where water lines and sanitary sewer lines go under city waterways, including the Bow River, the Elbow River, Fish Creek and Nose Creek. While these lines are still functioning, they are being inspected to see if there are any signs of erosion or bank issues. It's believed this could cost $11.6 million dollars in repairs in future years.

The water has gone down but the costs — visible and not so visible — are going to haunt Calgary for several years to come.