Yesterday CRCAG held a press conference and launched a public awareness campaign in support of upstream mitigation on the Bow and Elbow Rivers. Since the 2013 flood, although some progress has been made, the City remains seriously vulnerable to future flooding.
On the Bow River, a seasonal agreement for 2015 between the Alberta government and TransAlta is in place to use the Ghost Reservoir for some flood attenuation, which is a good start but not nearly enough. On the Elbow River, no tangible upstream mitigation measures have been achieved.
We have launched a postcard campaign, calling on Calgarians and Albertans to send a letter to Premier Notley asking her to prioritize flood mitigation infrastructure to protect the city of Calgary. A form of letter is available on our website at http://protectcalgary.com/take-action/.
Watch your mailboxes! A postcard you can use to easily send your message to the Premier will be dropped in the mailboxes of many flood-affected communities in the coming weeks.
Media Links:
Global Calgary – Calgary flood victims group pushes NDP government for solutions
660 News – As flood anniversary approaches, one group calling for action
CBC Calgary – Flood mitigation should be prioritized, say Calgarians
Calgary Herald – Calgary group urges Notley not to kill Springbank flood mitigation project
QR 770 – Group renews call to build Springbank dry dam
NEWS RELEASE
Calgary River Communities Action Group launches campaign
CALGARY, AB – The Calgary River Communities Action Group (CRCAG) is marking the second anniversary of the 2013 floods that devastated Calgary and much of southern Alberta with a grassroots campaign.
“Two years ago this city was ravaged by flood waters and while it may seem like a unique occurrence, history and studies conclusively show we must be prepared for future flooding,” says CRCAG co-president Brenda Leeds Binder. “Lots of progress has been made in the last two years, but we want to call attention to the need for mitigation solutions.”
The community organization launched a postcard campaign, calling on Calgarians and Albertans to send a letter to Premier Notley asking her to prioritize flood mitigation work currently underway. The letter will also available on the group’s website at www.protectcalgary.com.
For two years teams of engineers, architects, hydrologists, geologists and economists analyzed the problem and worked together to find solutions.
On the Bow River, the Province of Alberta and TransAlta have agreed to operational changes to lower the Ghost Reservoir seasonally. This is a good start, but more will need to be done.
On the Elbow River, many potential solutions were evaluated. Two were considered sufficiently viable to warrant an in-depth comparative analysis – the McLean Creek Dam in Kananaskis Country and the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir project.
While both options may be capable of preventing a repeat of the June 2013 flood, the Springbank project was demonstrated to be the preferred option as it is less expensive, can be completed much sooner, and has a smaller environmental impact.
“While the flood was devastating, it was heartening to see Albertans come together to help each other during those difficult days, weeks and months. We believe that as a province we can work together now to protect our communities and our citizens from future floods,” says Leeds Binder. “We have had an excellent working relationship with the government of Alberta and all the ministries and departments involved. We are looking forward to working with newly elected Premier Notley and her cabinet in bringing this much needed work to completion.”