Rocky View County crews fight to keep floods in check after heavy snowfalls

Record amounts of snow have fallen in southern Alberta this year, and as it piles up in the fields and ditches around Calgary, it's keeping the crews of Rocky View County busy.

Crews are working to keep spring flooding in check along hundreds of kilometres of rural roads and within dozens of hamlets, subdivisions and industrial areas.

"A culvert is open and flowing today, yet it refreezes tonight and we're back out there again tomorrow," said county roads maintenance supervisor Steven Hulsman.

Hulsman said the biggest thing isn't the amount of snow on the ground, but the fact that a lot of it hasn't melted yet.

"We've been out there proactively clearing all of our catch basins … if the weather continues, you'll start to see those flows," he said.

When ice plugs a culvert, it can cause a road to flood, so crews have to use steam and hand tools to keep the pipes clear.

The crews are responsible for 10,000 culverts across the million-acre county.

Crews have had to clear thousands of drains and remove snow from rural ditches proactively before the weather warms up.

"We've tried many things to move that snow where there's just too much," Hulsman said. 

Thursday's snowfall will likely contribute to the problem, but Hulsman said he expects the county's culverts and pipes to handle much of the melt. He also said he expects the gradual warming trend over the next few weeks to help clear the ice and snow.

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