Last month we breathed a brief sigh of relief when CBC’s Robson Fletcher published his extremely well-researched and well-balanced article, Why 3 Alberta governments chose Springbank to protect Calgary.
For years the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir project (SR1) has endured media coverage with often incomplete information, inaccuracies, and distractions. Rarely has a media outlet produced such thorough coverage of the complex SR1 file, so for this, we owe him a thank-you.
He writes:
“…it seems relevant to refresh our collective memory: Why was Springbank selected over McLean Creek, repeatedly? Those dense, technical documents underpin the answer. They’re important to understand, but not easy to read. That’s why we’ve been re-reading them — so you don’t have to.”
Please take the time to read and share this article.
Key themes covered in the article include:
- Dam safety – Explains why a McLean Creek (MC1) reservoir poses more risk of failure than SR1, and that this is the main reason that swayed the NDP to support SR1 instead of MC1 in 2015.
- Water quality concerns – Addresses concerns regarding algae and cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae
- Environment, recreation and archeology – Discusses how MC1 would have an impact on not just the natural environment but also a host of recreational activities and infrastructure in the area, and thus would likely draw significant stakeholder opposition.
- Cost – Cautions that direct comparisons are questionable, since SR1 is at a “preliminary design phase” while MC1 is still at a “conceptual stage.”
Thank you to Robson Fletcher for his attention to this critical issue, and to our own Tony Morris and the members of the SR1 project team who gave their time for interviews.
For more resources on why SR1 was chosen over MC1:
- Opponents continue to push MacLean Creek Reservoir, but here’s why it was rejected
- Links to key Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1) documents
If you have questions or comments, reach us at info@crcactiongroup.com.
Regards,
Your CRCAG Board