Developing temporary and permanent solutions to mitigate hazards in the Bow River

Bow River Conduit Removal

During the June 2013 flood, a significant portion of the Bow River’s north bank, near Bowmont Park, was eroded. A section of concrete conduit (including two manholes) was exposed within the river channel causing a public safety hazard and a risk to communication infrastructure.

Engaged by TELUS, we reviewed post-flood conditions and provided temporary hazard mitigation measures with suggestions for permanent hazard removal solutions. Temporary hazard mitigation measures were developed in conjunction with Transport Canada and the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) and included a navigation safety plan that used a boom system and signage to warn rivers users of the in-stream hazards.

The permanent solution involved removing the conduit and associated materials from the river without isolation measures—the cleanest and most efficient way to execute the work. To make this happen, we collaborated with Alberta Environment and Parks and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the instream work plan and development of a robust turbidity monitoring plan.

The conduit was successfully removed during summer 2015, and now that our bioengineered restoration design has taken hold, even a discerning eye would have difficulty finding evidence of a disturbance at the site.