Protecting southern Alberta from floods

Press Release

Budget 2020 confirms government’s commitment to the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1) as an essential part of flood protection for Calgary and southern Alberta.

SR1 will provide flood mitigation along the Elbow River to protect southern Alberta and Calgary from future flood events. Budget 2020 includes a commitment of $196.3 million over three years. The project is currently moving through the federal and provincial regulatory process.

“Our government remains committed to moving the Springbank dam through the regulatory process as quickly as possible to ensure that Calgary and southern Alberta have necessary flood mitigation in place before the next major flood event occurs. The residents of southern Alberta and the province’s economy cannot handle another major flood, which is why Budget 2020 includes funding to move SR1 forward. I am pleased with the work my department is doing on this important project and we will continue engaging with stakeholders, First Nations partners and other impacted groups to address their concerns about the project.”

Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation

Flood mitigation continues to be a top priority for the government. SR1 is one part of an overall southern Alberta flood mitigation strategy that includes projects such as the Bow River flood mitigation project and enhancements to the Glenmore Reservoir, which were completed this spring.

Last year, the Government of Alberta appointed independent expert Martin Ignasiak to review the status of the regulatory process and to find ways to accelerate the project’s construction. The report is available online.

Quick facts

The total estimated cost of the SR1 project is $432 million.
Government has purchased about 25 per cent of the required land.
SR1 requires approval from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) and the Natural Resource Conservation Board (NRCB).
Following regulatory approval, SR1 would take two years to build to a functional one-in-100-year capacity, and three years to build to full completion (capacity of the 2013 flood).

Related information