MJB Enterprises Ltd., builds a temporary berm to protect homes on Finlay Court from possible flooding of the South Saskatchewan River.--NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Work has started on a temporary berm to protect homes in Harlow in case the South Saskatchewan River should flood this year.
Homes on Finlay Court, close to Harris Street where the permanent berm ends, will be protected with an eight-foot high, three-metre wide clay base berm for 69 metres. Another 25 metres will be four-feet high. Protection will be provided further east with sandbags plus eight-foot and four-foot Muscle Walls – a flood protection product, according to the city.
Merrick Brown, director of emergency management, says the Muscle Wall and sand bags are already owned by the city and will be positioned next week. The labour is provided by city staff, some of whom were redeployed.
He was not able to provide a budget for the temporary berm being constructed by MJB Enterprises Ltd.
“This is a multi-phased project, dependent on risk level,” said Brown, who will provide the cost next week.
There are plans for a permanent berm to be built at this location in the fall but it has not gone to tender yet, said Brown.
A temporary berm is also being built behind Medalta – just off Industrial Avenue – where a permanent berm will be built in the fall.
Brown says neither of the temporary berms will become part of the permanent berms.
“The permanent structures require us to excavate subsurface to ensure we have an appropriate base. This is dependent on the design and multiple factors are considered (e.g. height, width),” said Brown.
The city had minimal notice of an approaching flood in 2013. Typically notice is three or four days, making it a tight time frame to put mitigation measures in place. Because of the current need for social distancing it was decided to get ahead of the game in case it is needed, said Brown.
The 2013 flood happened the third week in June and the possible “risk” of a flood continues through to July, said Brown.
Not all the residents in Harlow had been agreeable to the idea of a berm being constructed to protect their homes. The permanent berm in Harlow ends at the bend in Harris Street near Finlay Court.
Mayor Ted Clugston says most homeowners are now in agreement on the need for a permanent one.
Homeowners in Riverside had also previously been reluctant to have a permanent berm that would reduce their view and access to the river.
Brown says protection in that area this year will be “constructed at the time of the event.”
“Unlike Harlow and Industrial Avenue, Riverside’s temporary measures can be constructed expeditiously,” Brown said in an email.
Should the risk of flooding increase, additional temporary measures will be deployed at other high-risk locations.
Risk of flood this year
Alberta Environment says the mountain snow pack is above average upstream of the Bow and Oldman river systems but it is rainfall in June that will determine the potential for flooding.
“Right now, South Saskatchewan River at Medicine Hat is flowing at roughly 565 cubic metres per second, which is above its normal range for this time of the year,” said Jason Penner, communications adviser Alberta environment and parks. “With warmer temperatures coming, the river flow rate in the mountains is expected to increase slightly due to snowmelt.”
At the moment it is not a threat for the South Saskatchewan River at Medicine Hat.
