Canada – Alberta

Government acts to prevent future flood damage

Two months after unprecedented floods in Southern Alberta, the Redford government continues to help Albertans recover, as well as make our province a leader in flood prevention and protection.

In response to the summer’s floods, government appointed an advisory panel on community flood mitigation in July to provide direct input on flood prevention technology from around the world to help Alberta prepare for future flood events. The advisory panel, led by Allan Markin, is identifying mitigation concepts and potential sites. Ideas are also being gathered from municipalities and other government departments. To further this work, government is now calling for requests for proposals from professional engineering firms to provide consultant services and conduct a feasibility study of flood mitigation sites in Southern Alberta.

"From day one, our plan in responding to the floods has been to look long-term at what is needed to make communities safer. The advisory panel has done excellent work, and we’re ready to move forward in developing detailed ideas – in partnership with municipalities and the private sector – on larger-scale community mitigation projects that will help protect Albertans from flood damage in the years ahead", said Doug Griffiths, Minister of Municipal Affairs. Projects such as water detention measures to help cap the maximum amount of water flow at any one time by temporarily storing excess water flow, river engineering, and water diversions may be considered through the scope of work.

Environnement Alberta – 11-09-2013