Frustration and hope on display at Springbank dam open house

With the possibility of a federal environmental assessment looming, the Alberta government is hosting open houses on the Springbank dam flood mitigation project. 

As is to be expected with a project that will flood grazing land during floods, not everyone supports the plan. 

"There's 20 families here that are going to have their homes, their heritage, their businesses absolutely taken away from them and we think that's terrible," says area resident Mary Robinson. 

She doesn't think her community should be sacrificed for another. 

Federal review

The project would involve building a diversion channel from the Elbow River that would allow water to flow into a dry dam during floods, leaving the flooded land inaccessible until the water is drained. 

If the federal government decides to get involved, it will conduct its own review of the project alongside the provincial review. Without Ottawa, only the Alberta review will take place.

Ryan Robinson, no relation to Mary, is also opposed to the project and is looking forward to the possibility of a federal review.

"I think that it's going to force the government of Alberta to justify the huge social and financial costs of the Springbank project," he said. 

Not only is he concerned about the costs, he thinks if the project goes forward the government should examine the possibility of creating a reservoir that could help with droughts as well as floods. 

"That's a really, really important question that's not being answered here," he said. 

'Important piece of upstream mitigation'

Not everyone is opposed to the plan, which was selected over the alternative Maclean Creek reservoir project because of reduced costs, reduced impact on the environment and shorter timelines for construction.

"Maclean Creek was proposed at the same time as this project and it was given the same level of diligence and study, and a number of reports the government has commissioned have all come to the same conclusion, that the Springbank project makes the most sense," said Brenda Leeds-Binder, the co-president of the Calgary River Communities Action Group. 

"Our group is very supportive of this project, it's an important piece of upstream mitigation that will protect us in Calgary on the Elbow River from flooding," she said. 

The province is hosting another open house on the project on May 11 at Calgary First Church of the Nazarene on Richard Way S.W. between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

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