With multiple heavy rainfall events, including historic rainfall in some areas, and a challenging spring breakup of ice cover on northern rivers, Alberta’s multi-level flood mitigation strategy has helped prevent serious damage to homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. Through the $125-million Drought and Flood Protection Program launched in 2024, Alberta is strengthening flood protection, enhancing public safety and helping communities better withstand conditions that in previous years would have caused significant damage.
“Alberta has faced a challenging spring and summer of severe weather, and our investments in flood resilience are delivering results. Working with municipal and Indigenous leaders, we are strengthening public safety and building resilient communities.”
Since the 2013 southern Alberta floods, Alberta’s government, local emergency managers and Albertans now have better tools and information to deal with rising water levels and flooding. There is also more storage available to reduce peak flows and strategically placed flood barriers to protect vulnerable areas.
In Calgary, the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir was used for the first time to divert high flows from the Elbow River upstream of the city. Updated flood maps now show a significantly reduced flood risk along the Elbow River as a result of Springbank and other mitigation projects. On the Bow River, the Ghost Reservoir was also used several times to reduce river flows through Calgary. Both measures helped lower flood risk for Calgary and downstream communities.
“Calgary knows firsthand the devastating impact flooding can have on families, businesses and our entire community. That’s why strong partnership between the city and the province matters, because that leads to the type of flood mitigation investments that have made a difference during our rainy days this year. By working together and making smart, long-term investments in infrastructure and resilience, we can better protect Calgarians, safeguard our economy and ensure our city is prepared for the challenges ahead. I’m grateful for the province’s partnership and look forward to continuing this important work together.”
In Canmore, the Cougar Creek Dam, a mountain debris flood retention structure supported by about $46 million in provincial funding, captured debris and excess water, reducing the force of high flows and its effects on the community. Debris mitigation structures on nearby Exshaw Creek, Heart Creek and Jura Creek were also activated, demonstrating how targeted investments in steep-creek protection can reduce flood risks and strengthen the resilience of mountain communities.
“For the first time since the 2013 floods, Canmore's extensive flood mitigation efforts were tested against the power of significant rainfall in our steep creeks. The essential funding provided by Alberta's government for the construction of the Cougar Creek Debris Retention Structure helped us to successfully quell both the damaging debris flow and the fears of residents. The funding from our province wasn't just an investment in infrastructure; it was an investment in our community's overall well-being.”
In Fort McMurray, recently updated flood mapping, including specific mapping for ice jams, helped inform the response to a challenging spring breakup on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers. The $661,000 investment in flood mapping helped the community better prepare for and respond to this year’s ice jam, which, under similar water levels in 1997, caused severe flooding. Combined with observations from River Forecast Centre staff based in Fort McMurray, the updated mapping helped inform the municipality’s emergency response and limit flood impacts to parks, parking areas and riverside trails.
“Our flood mitigation program represents one of the largest investments in the municipality’s history, and we’ve made major progress in recent years to better protect people, homes, local businesses, and public infrastructure. Historically, the vast majority of flood events that impact us are due to ice-jams. Having flood mapping based on the risk we experience can only help us be better prepared and able to respond, and we saw the positive effects of this approach and partnership this past spring.”
Alberta’s work on flood resilience will continue in the years ahead, with more flood mapping and community-level flood mitigation projects still to come.
Quick facts
- 850 kilometres of flood mapping is underway as Alberta works toward its goal of 3,000 kilometres of new or updated mapping by 2028, building on roughly 1,900 kilometres completed for 70 municipalities and five First Nations since 2020.
- Several significant projects are in the design or construction stage across the province, including:
- $34.3 million for the Horsefly spillway in the Municipal District of Taber
- $5.25 million for flood protection for the Rossdale and E.L. Smith water treatment plants in Edmonton
- $2.87 million to address overland flooding in Sexsmith
- $3.25 million for the wastewater treatment plant flood protection project in Medicine Hat
- $4.07 million for the Stafford Lake stormwater infrastructure and monitoring implementation in Brooks
- The government recently completed a $531,000 upgrade to the Alberta River Basins website and the Alberta Rivers app, the primary tools used to communicate river conditions, forecasts and advisories to the public.
- More than 560 stations monitor river flows and water levels across the province, with more than 470 stations monitoring rainfall.