ERIC update May 3, 2014
1. Provincial Funding for Community Berming
The province announced $75 million additional funding for community berming and flood protection measures. ERIC notified the Province that Elbow River communities are in interested in this money for community berming and property protection.
The protocol for Provincial funding will not be set until the end of May 2014 which is very late but we hope will come in time to help. Presidents of Community Associations in ERIC communities will be asked to participate in the application for funding. ( we note under other provincial funding the zoo is reported to be the beneficiary of $25 million for flood mitigation, the Stampede $5 mill+ both of which are arguably private property.)
2. Action by us
Individuals, blocks, neighbourhoods are organizing to consider and implement plans to limit flood risk to property. If you haven’t already, talk to the President of your community association and your neighbhour. We have no alternative as stated by the City of Calgary in its brochure
“Q. Why doesn’t The City provide materials for homeowners to protect their property?
We encourage neighbours to work together to develop a common approach to flood mitigation. Mitigation strategies are more effective if undertaken on a block or street basis. Without a common approach, residents may be inadvertently affecting their neighbours’ properties during a flood event.
With hundreds or thousands of private residences located on a floodplain or fringe susceptible to flooding, it is simply not feasible for The City to provide sandbags or other materials, especially in an emergency when time is short. In other cities where flooding is a more common occurrence, those municipalities may have taken a different approach to preparation.”
We submit flooding in the City of Calgary is well understood and has occurred often enough to warrant an approach that is not ‘emergency response’. The City is our neighbour and yet has adversely affected us in some neighbourhoods.
Where channeling flood waters down roads and into dryland parks are part of the City’s plan, the City needs to ensure the water remains within the roadways and the dryland parks.
If you missed our meeting at Christ Church and want the information available at that meeting, please advise. If you have other solutions to offer, please let us know.
3. Action by the City
The City of Calgary is advising they may take steps that will further impact flooding on our lands. The following is taken from their brochure.
Q. What is The City of Calgary doing to prevent future flooding?
The City’s focus is on public safety and the protection of critical infrastructure that serves the entire city of Calgary. This includes structures such as electrical substations, water treatment facilities, communications infrastructure (cell phone towers, etc.), and public transportation.
Short and long-term mitigation efforts are underway to help protect against future flooding . (long term – Spring Bank, Mclean Creek,Tunnel)
A variety of shorter-term mitigation efforts are underway or being examined. These include flood barriers, walls and berms, riverbank stabilization and erosion protection, bridge replacements and improvements, groundwater cut-off structures, gravel bar shaping, storm drainage improvements, sanitary lift station upgrades, sewage treatment plant upgrades, and river clean up and debris removal.
We have repeatedly asked the City Administration to advise where these flood barriersetc. will be located. ERIC would like to benefit from them. They are largely provincially funded. We particularly want to ensure we are not further harmed by the City’s mitigation efforts. To date the City has refused to provide any information. We have been referred to CEMA.
We take the position the plans for flood mitigation are not CEMA’s plans, they are the plans of Waterworks etc., and therefore do not require the shroud of secrecy that prevents us from accessing the plans. The Director of CEMA is the Fire Chief. We respect that he understands how to respond when an emergency is called. We want plans for protection before the emergency is called. These plans ought to be public and involve stakeholders. We continue to ask for plans from the City so we may know what will happen in the next high water event. We want confirmation we will be protected or at least not facing further harm.
PLEASE WATCH FOR AND DOCUMENT what you see in the watershed that may impact the flow of water by narrowing the channel or impeding the flow. PICTURES would be helpful particularly if the berm, obstacle or protection device is removed immediately after a high water event. (we note the sidewalk on the Macleod Trail bridge appears higher, operating as a dam to protect the bridge surface and creating further potential for river back up.)
4. Debris Clean up
To date we have not had a response to our request for debris removal other than to be referred to the Parks department for bank clean up. We ask that the debris be removed from the river so that our properties will not be adversely impacted. Please call 311 if you have debris in the river in your area.
5. City Meeting – Wednesday May 7th from 4:30 at Ramsay 1136 8th Street S.E.
The City will apparently share the next steps at this meeting. Several city of Calgary departments will be represented including CEMA, building, water services, policy, community neighborhood flood management. The Government of Alberta will also be in attendance. It is a drop in format. The meeting after planned by the City is Thursday May 15th, at Foothills Academy 745 37th street NW. If you need water for your tiger dam or other assistance from the City, ask for it and advise us the answer you receive. We are advised by other communities the City has denied use of fire hydrants and the use of river water to fill tiger dams – no explanation given.
6. Land Use By-Law amendments –
CRC is working on and coordinating comments on the Land Use By-law amendments. Public Hearing May 12th (TBA). The City Clerk advises you can register when you attend at Council Chamber before the hearing. You will have five minutes to speak. No limit on speakers! We encourage you to attend.
7. Notification of high water
The Alberta River Forecast Centre will soon have an app that will allow you to receive pushed information setting out the risk of high water. This app will notify you as soon as they send the information out to municipalities and other parties.
8. Abettercalgary
James Maxim has been working tirelessly on our behalf to keep the issue of property protection in front of decision makers. We thank him. We refer you to his website www.abettercalgary.org. He encourages you to call 311 to state your questions and concerns which are recorded.
Thank you.
ERIC
M Bell
E&OE
1. Provincial Funding for Community Berming
The province announced $75 million additional funding for community berming and flood protection measures. ERIC notified the Province that Elbow River communities are in interested in this money for community berming and property protection.
The protocol for Provincial funding will not be set until the end of May 2014 which is very late but we hope will come in time to help. Presidents of Community Associations in ERIC communities will be asked to participate in the application for funding. ( we note under other provincial funding the zoo is reported to be the beneficiary of $25 million for flood mitigation, the Stampede $5 mill+ both of which are arguably private property.)
2. Action by us
Individuals, blocks, neighbourhoods are organizing to consider and implement plans to limit flood risk to property. If you haven’t already, talk to the President of your community association and your neighbhour. We have no alternative as stated by the City of Calgary in its brochure
“Q. Why doesn’t The City provide materials for homeowners to protect their property?
We encourage neighbours to work together to develop a common approach to flood mitigation. Mitigation strategies are more effective if undertaken on a block or street basis. Without a common approach, residents may be inadvertently affecting their neighbours’ properties during a flood event.
With hundreds or thousands of private residences located on a floodplain or fringe susceptible to flooding, it is simply not feasible for The City to provide sandbags or other materials, especially in an emergency when time is short. In other cities where flooding is a more common occurrence, those municipalities may have taken a different approach to preparation.”
We submit flooding in the City of Calgary is well understood and has occurred often enough to warrant an approach that is not ‘emergency response’. The City is our neighbour and yet has adversely affected us in some neighbourhoods.
Where channeling flood waters down roads and into dryland parks are part of the City’s plan, the City needs to ensure the water remains within the roadways and the dryland parks.
If you missed our meeting at Christ Church and want the information available at that meeting, please advise. If you have other solutions to offer, please let us know.
3. Action by the City
The City of Calgary is advising they may take steps that will further impact flooding on our lands. The following is taken from their brochure.
Q. What is The City of Calgary doing to prevent future flooding?
The City’s focus is on public safety and the protection of critical infrastructure that serves the entire city of Calgary. This includes structures such as electrical substations, water treatment facilities, communications infrastructure (cell phone towers, etc.), and public transportation.
Short and long-term mitigation efforts are underway to help protect against future flooding . (long term – Spring Bank, Mclean Creek,Tunnel)
A variety of shorter-term mitigation efforts are underway or being examined. These include flood barriers, walls and berms, riverbank stabilization and erosion protection, bridge replacements and improvements, groundwater cut-off structures, gravel bar shaping, storm drainage improvements, sanitary lift station upgrades, sewage treatment plant upgrades, and river clean up and debris removal.
We have repeatedly asked the City Administration to advise where these flood barriersetc. will be located. ERIC would like to benefit from them. They are largely provincially funded. We particularly want to ensure we are not further harmed by the City’s mitigation efforts. To date the City has refused to provide any information. We have been referred to CEMA.
We take the position the plans for flood mitigation are not CEMA’s plans, they are the plans of Waterworks etc., and therefore do not require the shroud of secrecy that prevents us from accessing the plans. The Director of CEMA is the Fire Chief. We respect that he understands how to respond when an emergency is called. We want plans for protection before the emergency is called. These plans ought to be public and involve stakeholders. We continue to ask for plans from the City so we may know what will happen in the next high water event. We want confirmation we will be protected or at least not facing further harm.
PLEASE WATCH FOR AND DOCUMENT what you see in the watershed that may impact the flow of water by narrowing the channel or impeding the flow. PICTURES would be helpful particularly if the berm, obstacle or protection device is removed immediately after a high water event. (we note the sidewalk on the Macleod Trail bridge appears higher, operating as a dam to protect the bridge surface and creating further potential for river back up.)
4. Debris Clean up
To date we have not had a response to our request for debris removal other than to be referred to the Parks department for bank clean up. We ask that the debris be removed from the river so that our properties will not be adversely impacted. Please call 311 if you have debris in the river in your area.
5. City Meeting – Wednesday May 7th from 4:30 at Ramsay 1136 8th Street S.E.
The City will apparently share the next steps at this meeting. Several city of Calgary departments will be represented including CEMA, building, water services, policy, community neighborhood flood management. The Government of Alberta will also be in attendance. It is a drop in format. The meeting after planned by the City is Thursday May 15th, at Foothills Academy 745 37th street NW. If you need water for your tiger dam or other assistance from the City, ask for it and advise us the answer you receive. We are advised by other communities the City has denied use of fire hydrants and the use of river water to fill tiger dams – no explanation given.
6. Land Use By-Law amendments –
CRC is working on and coordinating comments on the Land Use By-law amendments. Public Hearing May 12th (TBA). The City Clerk advises you can register when you attend at Council Chamber before the hearing. You will have five minutes to speak. No limit on speakers! We encourage you to attend.
7. Notification of high water
The Alberta River Forecast Centre will soon have an app that will allow you to receive pushed information setting out the risk of high water. This app will notify you as soon as they send the information out to municipalities and other parties.
8. Abettercalgary
James Maxim has been working tirelessly on our behalf to keep the issue of property protection in front of decision makers. We thank him. We refer you to his website www.abettercalgary.org. He encourages you to call 311 to state your questions and concerns which are recorded.
Thank you.
ERIC
M Bell
E&OE