(Government of Alberta)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

welcome news, says the city

Completion of Dickson Dam upgrades will help protect communities like Red Deer from extreme flooding

Jan 25, 2024 | 3:07 PM

Phase 1 of the Dickson Dam capacity enhancement project is now complete, says the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors.

Located 40 minutes southwest of Red Deer, upgrades to the Dickson Dam are expected to increase capacity of both the operating and auxiliary spillways for the dam, improving safety and flood-handling capability of the Gleniffer Reservoir.

Phase 1 cost $10.5 million, and included:

• raising the walls alongside the service spillway
• enhancing the spillway basin to protect the downstream area from erosion
• upgrading the spillway’s drainage system in order to safely manage higher peak discharge flow during extreme flood events

“The project will help supplement adequate water supply for Red Deer and Drumheller, enhance low winter flows along the Red Deer River, and ensure communities are protected from flooding,” explains Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors.

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Phase 2 of the Dickson Dam project includes auxiliary and emergency spillway upgrades, dam and dikes upgrades, and is currently in the design stage. Construction work is planned to start this summer.

(Government of Alberta)

The Dickson Dam was built in 1983.

It was originally constructed with spillway capacity to safely manage the probable maximum flood peak discharge value of 5,300 cubic metres per second (cms), as estimated at the time of initial design in the 1980s, the province notes.

Between the service spillway modification and the auxiliary/emergency spillway upgrades, the total peak discharge value rises to about 8,400 cms.

Jim Jorgensen, Utilities Manager, City of Red Deer, says the enhancements are welcome.

“Any improvements or investments in being able to manage impacts to the Red Deer River watershed are viewed favourably by The City,” he says. “We occasionally wind up having to manage different flood conditions, so these investments that others are making into infrastructure is positive and appreciated.”

Big or small, it’s usually each year that The City has to deal with some form of high flow events, be it on the river or in a creek.

“The Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA) is also interested in hearing more details on how the project supports flood and drought resiliency to help inform our water management partners as they plan for another predicted drought year in the Red Deer River Basin,” says Francine Forrest, executive director, RDRWA.

Forrest notes the RDRWA, in partnership with the Battle River Watershed Alliance and North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance is hosting a workshop Jan. 26 on Building Resiliency to Multi-Year Drought. Government of Alberta staff and other watershed planning partners across central Alberta will be in attendance.

Registration has closed, but the RDRWA hopes to release more information to the public about drought planning, dependency on precipitation, and mitigation measures, following the workshop.

READ MORE

• Nature Conservancy of Canada launches mapping tool for Red Deer River watershed

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