With about half of the 15,000 tonnes of rock for the riverbank stabilization project now piled and ready for use, the town is still awaiting approval from a number of provincial and federal departments, said Ron Baker, town director of operational services.
“We would like to start construction on this in March, so we are really going to be needing approval soon,” said Baker. “We would love to get approvals in February and start construction in March.
“We could do the construction in the summer, in July and August, if the river was down far enough, but what really helps us out is if the river is frozen, like it is now. Going out there now would be a piece of cake, but come summertime it would be a whole different project.”
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. In all, about 15,000 tonnes of rock will be used in the project.
Baker made a closed-door update to council on the project last week. Completing the riverbank stabilization and flood control project will help protect residents and infrastructure, he said.
Approvals must be obtained from Alberta Environment, Alberta Sustainable Resource and Development, the federal departments of Oceans and Fisheries and Navigable Waters for the project to proceed.
In anticipation of approval from the various departments, crews have been hauling the riprap rock to a storage site at the very south side of Riverside RV Park for the past several weeks.
On Dec. 23 project applications were submitted by the Town of Sundre to the federal Department of Oceans and Fisheries, Navigable Waters, Alberta Environment, Alberta Transportation, and Sustainable Resource Development.
Town staff met with officials from the various departments (except Navigable Waters) on January 20 to discuss the project and to move the approval application process forward.
“We had a really good meeting and they were very helpful in trying to get our applications moved along,” he said. “After they got our applications they saw the holes we have in our applications, the stuff we are missing. They said we need to do some modelling for the river and it will really speed the process up if we do that right now and we will.”
The town has now stepped up efforts to get Navigable Waters on board, he said.
“They are a part of this process, integral for this process, but we haven't heard anything back from them,” he said.
The town has been in contact with MP Blake Richards' office in an attempt to get a meeting with Navigable Waters officials arranged as soon as possible.
“We are using every avenue we have to try and communicate with them,” he said.
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 very glad to see us moving ahead. I am hopeful we can meet the timelines.”
She said the delays in getting the various department approvals are frustrating, she said.
“I'm a little bit concerned,” she said. “If we can start in March then we will be completed before the spring runoff.”
Town director of operations Ron Baker has been instructed to remain in “constant communications with the departments” in an effort to get the approvals in place, she said.
“I have talked to Blake Richards to let him know where we are at. He said he is going to look into it and see what the holdup is,” she said.
In February 2011 the provincial government announced that Sundre would receive $2.4 million to help with riverbank stabilization on the west bank of the Red Deer River in town.
The currently proposed project will cost the entire $2.4 million, said Mayor Clews.
The provincial funding came after months of lobbying by the Save our Sundre (SOS) group and other local and area stakeholders.
The SOS committee was formed under the auspices of the Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce to lobby the government for money to conduct riverbank stabilization and flood protection work in Sundre.
