The delivery of 15,000 tonnes of rock for the proposed riverbank stabilization project was completed last week – and now the town is awaiting government approval for the actual construction to get underway.
Project applications have been made by the Town of Sundre to the federal Department of Oceans and Fisheries, Navigable Waters, Alberta Environment, Alberta Transportation, and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
So far, no application approvals have been received, said Ron Baker, Director of Operational Services.
“We are still waiting,” Baker said Thursday. “We would love to start work within the next two weeks. It's still possible and we have our fingers crossed.
“We've answered all the questions (from the department) and we are hopeful.”
However, if Navigable Waters, in particular, decides to order an environmental assessment on the project, “it really would not allow us to work this year,” he said.
The low river conditions at the site right now would be ideal for the construction phase to get underway, he said.
Riverbank erosion along the west bank of the river has continued unabated since 2005, pushing the river closer and closer to the Riverside RV Park and other infrastructure.
The riverbank stabilization project will see riprap spurs – which are jetties built about 30 to 40 metres out from the riverbank – constructed upstream from Greenwood Campground on the west side of the river.
The spurs will consist of so-called Class 3 riprap, which are large rocks about a metre square. Over the past month the rocks have been piled along the west bank of the river on the town's far south boundary.
Last week the town completed a river modelling exercise on the project at the request of Alberta Environment.
The findings indicate the project will have little impact on the river flow, he said.
“If you alter anything on a water course you can use this model to see what that alteration does to the flow in a one in a hundred year flood event,” he said. “The river is so wide right there so it takes a major event for it to really affect flow.
“Our engineering firm ran the model and there was negligible effects from what we are going to be doing.”
The town has been in discussions with Downer Construction of Canmore about the project. “Downer Construction, which delivered the rock, also came in with the low tender on the construction phase. Even though we don't have approvals yet, we have met with them to get this all lined out so when we do get the approvals we are ready to go,” he said.
“We've met with them (Downer) enough that as soon as we get approvals they will know what to do right away.”
Town council has not yet accepted a tender for the construction phase of the project.
Mayor Annette Clews has said she would like to see the project completed before spring.
“We are very hopeful that we can get the work done before spring runoff in May,” said Clews. “That's typically when the runoff starts. I am hopeful we can meet the timelines.”
In February 2011 the provincial government announced that Sundre would receive $2.4 million to help fund the riverbank stabilization project.
The currently proposed project will cost the entire $2.4 million, said Mayor Clews.
