HIGH RIVER — Work has begun on a river that runs along the hard-hit southern Alberta community of High River to help prevent future flooding.
The provincial government says scraping is underway in the Highwood River to remove excess gravel, sediment and debris, which will increase the river’s flow.
Rick Fraser, associate minister of flood recovery in the area, says rebuilding the town is a priority, but it’s also important to prevent a similar disaster.
It’s expected that 64,000 cubic metres of rock will be removed from the river — enough to fill 26 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The rock is to be stored in the area and used in future flood mitigation efforts.
The river work is expected to be completed by Sept. 15.