Banff-Cochrane MLA Ron Casey asked his own PC government Nov. 19 to clarify the status of the McLean Creek Dry Dam, as he believes there is confusion in the community of Bragg Creek over the issue.
“People in Bragg Creek want to know the status of the McLean Creek Dry Dam,” said Casey. “I wanted everyone to hear the answer so they all had the same information at the same time.”
Casey said he thinks that Bragg Creek residents feel that the government needs to make a decision soon, regarding the approval of a long term mitigation project (that will protect the community).
“I understand that people are nervous and their anxiety is very real because they went through a terrible occurrence,” said Casey. “Since the 2013 flood, they have gone through one spring and are headed towards another one.”
Even if the province approved McLean Creek Dry Dam project, there still needs to be a dyke system built in Bragg Creek, according to Casey.
“(Building dykes) can’t wait,” said Casey. “Short term mitigation (building dykes along the Elbow River in Bragg Creek) is on the way, and the community will be protected as well as they can be in the short term, but we (the province) also need to come up with a long term solution.
“Our goal is to reduce risk to Bragg Creek with regards to another flood event, such as 2013.”
According to Alberta Environment & Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) spokesperson Jason Penner, AMEC, the company the province hired after the flood to study and recommend mitigation projects to protect all 2013 Southern Alberta flood affected communities, is currently conducting an environmental review of the proposed McLean Creek Dry Dam on behalf of the department.
This review, due at the end of December, will result in a report that will identify and assess the environmental issues surrounding the McLean Creek Dry Dam project.
ESRD minister Kyle Fawcett said after he receives and reviews the report, he would make a final determination as whether to proceed with the project then issuing a recommendation to the province.
“I will take a look at cost benefit analysis and environmental impacts, both upstream and downstream, and make a decision on balance regarding all of those conclusions,” said Fawcett.
Cathy Maniego, executive director of ESRD’s resilience and mitigation department, said all the province’s proposed flood mitigation projects are currently at the high level planning stage and ESRD is currently conducting environmental reviews, feasibility studies and the preliminary engineering to determine the feasibility of the proposed mitigation projects.
“Are they actually doable and can they physically be built?” Maniego asked.
Maniego said she looks forward having a collaborative public engagement process with Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows and Calgary residents before a final decision is made on which mitigation projects would proceed.
“We need to talk to people and we want to hear all sides,” said Maniego. “We want to bring people along at each step of the process and to have them understand what we’re trying to achieve.”
Bragg Creek resident, landowner and developer Dick Koetsier, said the McLean Creek Dry Dam is a long-term, positive solution for flood mitigation.
“It will restrict the flow of the Elbow River so the water doesn’t hit Bragg Creek with the same intensity as it did during the flood of 2013,” said Koetsier.
Koetsier, who owns about 60 acres of riverfront property in Bragg Creek, said that he had planned to develop but is waiting to hear what the province has decided for local and large scale flood mitigation before he can move forward with any of his development ideas.
Koetsier wrote a letter to Premier Jim Prentice to encourage the province to approve the McLean Creek Dry Dam.
In the letter, Koetsier wrote that prior to the devastating effects of the 2013 flood, there was hope for local development in Bragg Creek due to Rocky View County providing water and wastewater servicing (with a $9.1 million investment from the province.)
According to Koetsier, the hamlet’s development plans have been put on hold, local businesses are still suffering financially and the real estate market is dismal.
“There is only one thing that Bragg Creek needs, and that is a plan to protect us against the next flood,” wrote Koetsier. The proposed McLean Creek Dry Dam is the best option to protect the communities of Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows, according to Koetsier, and he hopes the McLean Creek Dry Dam project is approved.
Rocky View County communications manager Grant Kaiser said the county is seeking more information on the McLean Creek Dry Dam option from the province.
“The county has not seen or been able to evaluate a completed design for this option,” said Kaiser. “Without that information, we cannot comment on the benefits it may provide to the hamlet of Bragg Creek. We will need to see more details before we pursue any flood mitigation strategies for county residents.”
