CREMONA - A proposed regional stormwater management plan for the Village of Cremona would include an evaluation of existing drainage and areas of possible concern such as local flooding, say officials.
The village will be seeking a $69,000 Alberta Community Partnership grant from the province to prepare the management plan. Councillors discussed the matter at the Dec. 21 council meeting and have instructed administration to move forward with the grant application.
Having the plan in place would be good for the municipality going forward, said mayor Tim Hagen.
“It will show us where our weaknesses are and it would also show us what we should do in the future,” Hagen told the Albertan.
David Seeliger, senior project manager with MPE Engineering, outlined the proposed plan in a letter to council. The plan is needed to assess existing conditions and provide recommendations for drainage improvement, he said.
“As the village grows, it is important to understand how the existing system is managing and the impact that new development will have on existing drainage infrastructure and the downstream conveyance systems,” Seeliger said.
“Therefore, having a plan to manage additional runoff generated by future development within the village will be an important focus of this study.
The study will cover an area of approximately 17 hectares within the village.
“The existing stormwater management system is more evolutionary than planned, and public works has indicated that there are several areas that do not properly drain during spring thaw and intense rainfall events,” he said.
The plan would evaluate existing drainage, areas of concern such as local flooding, downstream issues, erosion and inadequate infrastructure, and recommend possible solutions, he said.
It would also establish policies and design criteria, including a maximum allowable release rate of stormwater runoff, and establish best management practices for transporting, storing an treating urban runoff.
The preparation of the plan would include a consideration of impacts of stormwater management on receiving streams, existing development, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive areas, provide cost estimates for propose option, and provide comments on applicable regulatory requirements.
It would also address the need for off-site levies and recommend future development requirements and types of best management practices that could be implemented.
Work on the plan would include field inspections and surveys and meetings with village and Mountain View County representatives on-site to discuss stormwater issues.
Mayor Hagen says work on the plan will begin as soon as the grant applications is approved, likely early in 2022.
“If we are approved it (preparation of the plan) would be done in the summer,” he said.
Runoff from the village also results in drainage issues to downstream properties in Mountain View County.
Meanwhile, in response to request from the village, Mountain View County has agreed to provide a letter of support for the grant application.
“Whether its surface or sub-surface stormwater drainage, the village experiences a definite north to south flow,” the county's chief administrative officer, Jeff Holmes, said during the recent county council meeting.
“This stormwater flow ultimately becomes a part of the marsh area on Cremona’s south border. In effect, this area, including the point that is a portion of the village’s nature trail, is seeing as an unplanned surface stormwater retention facility.”
Some of the culverts installed at the southern border to maintain the nature trail pond is inadvertently draining surface water onto neighbouring county properties, he said.
“At times, this water flow is affecting at least three county residents,” he said. “The water in this area is also impacting the old rail bed that serves as a portion of the walking trail in our nature area.
“Adding to this conservation is a potential for some additional residential development at the north end of East Street, beginning as early as 2022, which would potentially increase the flow of both surface and sub-surface storm water.”
Division 2 councillor Greg Harris, whose division includes the Cremona area, said there is a need to look at the stormwater issues.
At the recent council meeting, county council approved a motion instructing administration to provide the letter of support to Cremona.
