Restoration and armouring of Cougar Creek banks after last year’s flooding is expected to be complete by the end of the month, however, the Town of Canmore is still seeking assistance from the Province to ensure further damage can be prevented.
The Town’s manager of engineering, Andy Esarte, provided an update on the project, which includes several additions that started this past fall in response to a flood that occurred in June of last year.
“We’ve got quite of bit of work done so far,” Esarte said. “We added a couple of sections to the original scope. When we originally laid it out we picked the hardest hit areas and when we got out into the field and did another review, we added 150 metres so that’s why the schedule has been extended.”
The contractor in charge of the project, Bremner Engineering & Construction, has been working through winter to prepare for spring when new trails in Cougar Creek will be built.
“This type of work isn’t weather dependent,” the manager explained. “When you’re placing large rock, the key thing is getting it in the right spot, getting the right gradation of the rock and right sizing of the rock.
“The trails will be done once the frost is off the ground,” he added. “That’s really the weather dependent part, but we’ve got the temporary trails in place and those will continue to be used and maintained over the winter.”
According to Esarte, the original plan for Cougar Creek from 2009 includes a sediment trap, grade control structures and armouring of all the banks, not just the ones currently being worked on.
“That’s the project where we’re seeking support from the Province; to get the funding so we can get that work done,” he said. “In the absence of that funding, what we’re working on is strictly repairs from the June flood damage.”
All of the damaged areas from last year’s flood will be fully restored heading into spring and summer, along with other enhancements such as a grade control structure at the outlet of Elk Run Boulevard.
Despite this, without the completion of the original project the area could still be susceptible to another flood that could require further restoration.
“We haven’t just restored the banks to where they were prior to the flood damage,” he said. “We’ve actually improved the armouring. Even though we’ve done that in the absence of the full complete project, we expect that next spring we certainly can see damage happening again.
“Hopefully it’s not as extensive, but in the absence of that complete project that channel is going to be at risk and will continue to require maintenance.”
