Bassano’s dam flood mitigation finished

By Medicine Hat News on October 26, 2019.

Officials celebrated the completion of measures to protect the Bassano Dam Friday in case of a repeat of the 2013 flood.

Alberta Parks and Environment Minister Jason Nixon said the work, completed over the past two years, would help make communities more resilient.

Earl Wilson, the manager of the project for dam owner Eastern Irrigation District, said the new dam works will increase the amount of water handled before emergency measures are required or the dam structure is at risk.

“This will allow continued supply of water to 310,000 irrigation acres, the City of Brooks, all other municipalities and all businesses within the Eastern Irrigation District, immediately after any future floods,” he said.

The second emergency spillway was built at a cost of $45 million, including $30 million of provincial grants and another $15 million by the Eastern Irrigation District.

It would allow the dam operators to open a section of the earthen dam to quickly bring down water levels that might overwhelm the bank and potentially lead to general failure. Water would still wind up in the Bow River downstream via a concrete spillway on land that was provided by the Siksika Nation.

During the 2013 flood, EID officials reported that the level of water in the dam crested just inches below critical points.

Wind, fire concern in Southern Alberta

The County of Forty Mile issued a fire warning on Friday advising residents to use caution considering the amount of cured grass on the landscape and expected high winds.

The advisory only stressed that people be aware of the conditions and be responsible but does not restrict permits or recreational fires.

A fire restriction has remained in place in Cypress County since late August, at which time officials downgraded the restrictions slightly following extremely dry conditions over the summer.

RCMP in Nanton issued travel advisories as winds estimated at a speed of 150 kilometres per hour entered the region shortly after noon. As well, Mounties near Airdrie announced that grass fires near that city forced the closure of a secondary highway for several hours.

The County of Newell has had a fire advisory in place since mid-summer. The Special Areas also had strict fire restrictions during August, but that has since been rescinded.

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