CALGARY — The Alberta government has narrowed down the flood prevention projects it will be funding but says it will be years before they will be completed.
The province has set aside $600 million over the next three years to pay for high-priority flood mitigation.
Environment Minister Robin Campbell says he’d like changes to be made overnight, but adds it will take years to provide safeguards after what was a 1-in-200-year event last spring.
Given the green light for development are an off-stream storage site west of Calgary to divert and store water from the Elbow River, as well as a diversion to funnel water from the Highwood River around the town of High River.
An underground diversion tunnel within city of Calgary limits is still being studied.
Extensive flooding caused by heavy rain forced thousands of people in southern Alberta from their homes last June.