After receiving a letter from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD) outlining concerns with the proposed flood prevention berm expansion project on the Red Deer River west of Sundre, Mountain View County (MVC) will be seeking a meeting with the department minister and others.
MVC has been working with the Town of Sundre and others on the berm project and has already received some approvals and some funding.
Application has been made under the Water Act to extend an existing berm with the flood plain of the Red Deer River in Sections 24 and 25 of 32-06-W5M and sections 19, 20 and 30 of 32-05-W5M.
Part of the proposed berm would be built on Crown land in the south McDougal Flats area.
A June 10 letter sent to MVC from Andrew Patton, the water administration engineer for the Red Deer/North Saskatchewan region of Alberta Environment, outlines a number of concerns with the proposed berm project, and in particular the portion proposed to be built on Crown land.
Those concerns related to the proposed location, flood hazard mapping, landowner consent, legal access to the area, and detailed design.
Regarding the proposed berm's location, Patton says, in part, that the barrier could “impact natural areas administered and protected by the Wilderness Areas, Ecological reserves, Natural Areas and Heritage Rangelands Act.”
He said according to Rod Gow, park ecologist with the department, the berm will, in part, “essentially be the equivalent of a road (and) has the potential to significantly change access to these areas to the detriment of their designated purpose.”
Regarding flood hazard mapping, Patton says, in part: “Restricting flood flows to a much narrower area between the proposed berm and the south Red Deer valley wall may reduce potential flood peak attenuation in the future. This impact should be assessed, especially at Sundre.”
Regarding landowner consent and legal access to lands, he said, in part: “The county must provide written consent or legal access to land that will be impacted by the location, construction or any changes in the hydraulic or hydrologic characteristics of the river as a result of the berm.”
At the recent county council meeting, councillors reviewed the letter and then passed a motion instructing administration to set up meetings with the AESRD minister and department officials.
Mountain View County deputy reeve Patricia McKean says the objections raised by Patton appear to create a major roadblock for the entire berm project.
“What they are saying is, ‘here's the money but you can't build it',” said McKean. “The most critical stage of the berm needs to be put on the (Crown) land and they are saying we wouldn't get access to that land.
“When we had our first meetings trying to get the grant money approved, we had told them that we would need to go on that land and all of the ministers at that time that we spoke to all said it wouldn't be a problem and they would assist us.
“That's why we are now setting up a meeting with them so they can assist us in the approval process. It's frustrating because it's almost like they are saying, ‘here's your solution and here's the money, but then you can't do anything with it'. So it's really not a solution. It's sort of like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.”
Without the approvals, the project cannot move forward, she said.
Asked what the county hopes to get out of the meeting with the minister, once it is set up, McKean said, “We want a guide on how we can proceed with this so we can get the approvals in place in time.”
Asked when the county would like to see construction begin, she said, “Our first thought was we could start on this by October. We'd still like to be able to keep on that timeline. Nothing is in stone, but we'd like to stay on target.”
The Town of Sundre officials will be asked to attend the meeting with the minister and staff, she said.
