Flood mitigation in Calgary, High River gets go-ahead from Prentice
Dry reservoir, river diversion approved by government to mitigate future floods
Premier Jim Prentice is giving the go-ahead to two flood mitigation projects in southern Alberta.
He announced the government will construct a diversion of the Highwood River to protect High River.
A dry reservoir will also be developed in Springbank, located just west of Calgary, to accommodate floodwaters from the Elbow River to help protect the city.
Each project is estimated to cost $150 million.
But not everyone is happy, like residents that will be affected in Springbank.
"This project would wipe out homes, businesses, nature areas and really change the character of Springbank forever," said Ryan Robinson, who speaks for the group behind dontdamnspringbank.org.
However, the premier says 15 properties would be affected. Prentice says the province can raise buildings that might be affected or move them. If the owner wants to be bought out that's also a possibility, says Prentice.
Calgary mayor surprised
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he pleased the premier has made flood mitigation a major priority, but he says he's surprised by the scope of the announcement.
"The `room for the river` concept for the Springbank reservoir, while intriguing, has never been discussed with city officials," said Nenshi.
"It represents a real departure from the previous plan, where the reservoir would have played a role in both flood and drought years. This dry dam would not be used except during a flood and would not allow for comprehensive water management, what the province had previously stated was their goal for this project."
Nenshi said it was announced without discussion with the city's flood experts or policy-makers.
Prentice says both projects will proceed as quickly as possible, but they must first undergo public consultation and an environmental impact assessment.
He committed to negotiating a long-term agreement with TransAlta to ensure the Ghost Reservoir can accommodate floodwaters from the Bow River.
DRP appeals to be addressed, says premier
Prentice says the government will also triple the number of appeals staff working with the Disaster Recovery Program to try to clear up outstanding appeals by the end of the year.
Of the 10,500 individual applications to the program because of the flood, more than 8,000 have been closed and the others are still being assessed.
There are 677 files currently being appealed. Of those, 120 files are from Calgary and 338 are from High River.
Susan Wright, the Liberal candidate for the upcoming Calgary-Elbow byelection, said it's unacceptable that 15 months after the flood there are people still looking for compensation.
"The time for action is way overdue," said Wright. "How much longer do the flood victims have to wait?"
She said if the PCs had implemented the Groeneveld report recommendations after the 2005 flood, the devastation in 2013 would have been significantly reduced.
The topic of flood mitigation is expected to be front and centre when Calgary-Elbow residents head to the polls.
The date for the byelection has not yet been set.
Below is an image of southern diversion plan approved for the Highwood River:
