Crews work at the water treatment plant in this June 2013 file photo to prepare for the coming flood of the South Saskatchewan River. City officials say the new SR1 reservoir near Calgary will have some benefit for Medicine Hat, though not full flood protection.-NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
With the completion of the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir, Calgary and downstream communities on the Elbow River should see reduced flooding, including minor benefits for Medicine Hat.
Construction of the SR1 began in 2022, and was completed this month. The dry reservoir is designed to divert water in the event of a large-scale flood, hold it and release it into the Elbow River when it is safe to do so.
The City of Medicine Hat is excited to see the completion of the project, said Merrick Brown, director of emergency services.
“We have been working with them over the past year, as every downstream municipality has more so on the emergency planning and preparedness aspect,” said Brown.
He explained they have been consulting to ensure that if something should happen to the reservoir, the city would be alerted in the most efficient way, as to allow for appropriate evacuation and emergency response plans to be used if needed, as they would with any flood.
Brown says the city will see some benefit from the project, but it is only one tool to help prevent floods, and due to the placement, the project is going to be most effective for Calgary.
“There are two rivers that combine to flow through Medicine Hat, and that’s the Bow River and the Old Man River,” said Brown. “SR1 protects the Elbow River, which naturally merges into the Bow River just in the middle of Calgary. So naturally, we would see some benefit from the SR1, but we’re not going to see a full benefit. Pretty much every overland flood that we have seen is because of the two rivers that are merging together.”
There is currently no protection on the Bow River itself, says Brown, with no proposed protection until 2037, with the relocation of Ghost Dam.
“We’re really happy that the province is putting a lot of effort into these mitigation measures, but we also recognize that it isn’t a full stop on flooding for us or for Calgary. It’s not a matter of sitting back and watching the water go away.” said Brown.
