ROCKY VIEW— The Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir Project has been approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Board.
In a statement released Tuesday (June 22), the board concluded the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir, also known as SR1, will provide critical flood protection to the City of Calgary. The approval requires authorization by an Order in Council by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta to come into effect.
The Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) considered the social, economic and environmental impact of the project and engaged in an 11-day virtual hearing. Overall, the Board concluded the positive effects of SR1 outweigh the potential negative economic, social and environmental effects.
Under the approval, Alberta Transportation is required to implement commitments made in the application and hearing, along with conditions imposed by the board. Together these steps are intended to mitigate any significant environmental effects from SR1.
The NRCB is an independent, quasi-judicial board of the Government of Alberta, established by the Natural Resources Conservation Board Act. It is responsible for determining whether natural resource projects are in the public interest.
The SR1 flood mitigation project will work in tandem with the Glenmore Reservoir in Calgary to mitigate damage from floods up to the size of the 2013 flood, by diverting water from the Elbow River to an off-stream reservoir.
SR1 will be constructed about 15-kilometres from Calgary near Springbank Road and Highway 22.
The project is projected to cost around $432 million and is eligible for $168.5 million under the Government of Canada's Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.
The reservoir is one of several flood mitigations projects in southern Alberta – Including berms in Bragg Creek delivered by Rocky View County and the potential for another project in the Redwood Meadows area.
