Protecting our communities from future flooding events

Springbank Off-Stream Storage Project

With estimated damages exceeding $5 billion, 32 states of local emergency declared, and countless families ordered to evacuate, the 2013 Southern Alberta flood was one of our most devastating and costliest natural disasters in Canadian history. These were just some of the facts Alberta Transportation was facing when they started looking at flood mitigation strategies.

One of those mitigation strategies is the Springbank Off-stream Storage Project (SR1). SR1 will temporarily divert up to 594 cubic meters per second of water from the Elbow River to an off-stream storage reservoir during extreme flood conditions and later release the excess water back into the river after the flood peak has passed. The proposed solution requires diversion structures in the Elbow River, diversion channels through the adjacent lands, a new bridge, an earth fill dam with low-level water outlets and roadway infrastructure.

The province has proposed an aggressive schedule that will require seamless project execution and impeccable coordination with stakeholders, sub-consultants, and suppliers. It’s a tall order, but we know we can deliver. We’re excited to tackle this challenge, and work alongside Alberta Transportation to shape a part of our province’s history, protecting communities from future flooding events.