City raising river levels to prepare for flood season
Posted May 9, 2016 11:44 pm.
Last Updated May 9, 2016 11:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Elbow River will be a little higher than usual on Tuesday as the city releases water from the Glenmore Reservoir into the Elbow River.
It’s all in an effort to get ready for high-flow season, which typically runs from May 15th to July 15th where the flood risk is greatest, driven by widespread, heavy rainfall.
The city’s Frank Frigo says people will see the river rise about a metre in most places which is much less than any actual flood event would trigger and will not cause any significant impacts or damage.
Frigo says this year’s conditions have been dry so they’ve been carefully managing to both look at water supply potential and avoiding drought as well as positioning themselves to be within striking distance should a high flow event occur.
City staff will be out taking measurements in an effort to inform and refine emergency response plans for potential flood situations.
A high stream flow advisory will also be in effect for the lower Elbow River and it’s recommended, for the safety of Calgarians not to attempt to navigate or conduct activites close to the river.
A number of pathways will also be closed, primarily where the pathways pass under existing bridges.
