The failure of flood control

Photo, Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

More from Kevin Van Tighem, who writes: “Those who ignore the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them...”

The failure of flood control

It's hard to think of a name more fitting than Watertown for a city routinely doused by a river, but that was small comfort this past April to citizens of the South Dakota town as they sandbagged their homes and watched water rise in their basements.
 
Read more here:  http://bit.ly/1bqdcjB

"Floods come off landscapes, not rivers"

Click directly on map for larger image

"Floods come off landscapes, not rivers"

Kevin Van Tighem writes:

I've learned a bit more about this. Calgary: brace yourself for an inundation the likes of which you have never imagined in your worst dreams when (not if) this proposed dam fails.

A dam of this sort has never been placed on a live river before. Even in the seasonal desert streams where they've been tried, there have been many failures. No river hydrologists were involved in the scheme before it was announced. They plan to put the whole river through a culvert (a culvert!!) that will be at least half a km long.

The entire river here is a shifting floodplain of loose gravel. Upstream are forests and slopes that will die and collapse into the floodwaters. In the first or second big flood, the culvert will fill with sediment and be plugged by flotsam.

Dry dam in provincial flood mitigation plan ‘doesn’t cut it’

Kevin Van Tighem, biologist and former superintendent of Banff National Park, says a proposed dry dam upstream of the Elbow river won’t do much to help with future flooding, and could be harmful to the natural environment.
Photograph by: Leah Hennel , Calgary Herald

Dry dam in provincial flood mitigation plan ‘doesn’t cut it’

Former Banff Park boss raises environmental concerns

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald November 25, 2013

The former superintendent of Banff National Park says the Redford government has tunnel vision with some of its flood mitigation projects, particularly plans to construct a dry dam upstream of Calgary’s Elbow River.

Read story here: http://bit.ly/18IuLPH

Crews use elbow grease to clean up Elbow River

Dennis Ohrling pulls branches and debris out of the Elbow River in the Mission and Erlton area with a City of Calgary Water Resources Department crew on Friday. Crews are gradually clearing the riverbanks of debris left behind by the June floods.
Photograph by: Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald

Crews use elbow grease to clean up Elbow River

Michael Franklin, CTV Calgary, August 30, 2013

Crews are working mostly by hand to remove a huge amount of debris from the Elbow River in the hopes of reducing the danger for river users and restore habitats for wildlife in Calgary.

Read text and watch news video clip here: http://bit.ly/15pyFNZ

Today along the Bow River - June 2012

Lilacs above the 'chocolate milk' Elbow River today, just above 4th St SW bridge.  

Photo, Copyright © Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

Thursday June 07 2012 at 8:00 pm

Bow River at Calgary: 391 cms

Elbow River below Glenmore dam: 85 cms

Fish Creek: 6 cms

Highwood River near the mouth: 154 cms

Total Bow River flow below Highwood: 636 cms

Forecaster's Comments - June 7, 2012 5:30 PM