Downtown Calgary is now safe from a 2013-level flood on the Bow River
The City of Calgary has a newly installed downtown flood barrier
With the downtown flood barrier now complete, officials say Calgary’s downtown is completely protected from the level of flooding seen in 2013 on the Bow River.
The 1.39 kilometre stretch of steel sheet pile, concrete walls and earth is capable of holding back the waters of a 1-in-200 year flood event, city officials say. The barrier extends underground to help prevent ground flooding. Meanwhile, metal “stop logs” can quickly be put in place along entry points to the Bow River pathway system when needed.
The city incorporated wood paneling and benches into the barrier in efforts to make them more functional and visually appealing (Connor O’Donovan)
Along with already-completed flood barriers, over four kilometres of downtown riverfront are now protected from flooding.
"In 2013, with this infrastructure in place, none of the downtown would have been inundated except for those components would have been inundated by the Elbow River," City of Calgary Environmental Management Manager Frank Frigo said at an event celebrating the barrier’s completion.
"The wall is designed for stability all the way to a 1-in-200 year event, so significantly larger than 2013. And we’ve encased that with a very important feature - a bench that can also form as part of the public realm component."
SEE ALSO: Calgary is preparing for an even bigger flood than 2013
The 2013 flood on the Bow, considered a 1-in-100 year event by hydrologists, increased flow rates as high as 12 times the average and raised water levels by more than six metres. The 2013 floods dealt billions of dollars in damages across southern Alberta.
WATCH: Could Calgary see a repeat of the 2013 flood?
In downtown Calgary, roads were impassible, power was lost and transit was suspended. More than 3000 buildings were flooded and more than 4000 businesses impacted, and more than 5.1 million work hours were lost due to the impact to the downtown core. Across southern Alberta, five people also lost their lives during the floods.
The downtown core remains vulnerable to flooding on the Elbow River, though, on which a 1-in-200 year flood event was seen in 2013. The under-construction Springbank Reservoir, worth nearly $1 billion and planned for completion in 2025, will be tasked with further managing Elbow River flood risk.
Overall, Frigo said that more than 54 per cent of the flood damage potential that existed in 2013 has been eliminated. He said the completion of the Springbank Reservoir will raise that figure to over 70 per cent.
Concerned Calgary residents, however, have called for more upstream water storage along the Bow River to further mitigate flood risk in low lying communities like Bowness.
Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister said the province is exploring potential locations for such a reservoir.
