Rocky View County (RVC) council has approved spending up to $1.5 million to address overland flooding issues caused by triple the typical rainfall in July.
At a special meeting today, council received an update on the problems created by the excessive rainfall, particularly in the county’s eastern portion and the Bragg Creek area.
Council gave unanimous approval to use the tax stabilization reserve to fund contracted services and floodwater conveyance to support Rocky View County’s flood mitigation efforts.
At some point, the county plans to apply for emergency funding from the province to help offset some costs.
Administration estimates $775,000 is needed for transportation services, including contracted services, emergency pumping equipment, and Western Irrigation discharge. An additional $715,000 is anticipated for effluent hauling and disposal, which includes another $10,000 for emergency pumping equipment.
The Calgary area experienced the third-highest July rainfall on record. Reegan McCullough, RVC chief administrative officer, said the region received 167.5 mm (6.7 inches), about three times the average. Only 1927 (245 mm) and 2016 (190 mm) saw higher July totals.
In his presentation, Byron Reimann, RVC chief operating officer (COO), outlined short-term measures underway, upcoming steps, and long-term solutions the county is pursuing.
Emergency pumping operations continue in multiple communities, with overland flow management carried out using available staff and equipment. Effluent hauling is also ongoing, including in Bragg Creek.
Administration proposes a 2026-2029 capital budget of $19.2 million for long-term flood mitigation projects: $16.6 million for components of the Cooperative Stormwater Management Initiative (CSMI), and $2.6 million for a municipal ditch connection in Janet to the CSMI.
Division 6 Councillor Sunny Samra received unanimous support for a second motion directing county administration to review current stormwater servicing standards.
He questioned the effectiveness of the RVC system and whether home residential associations, which manage some of the systems, have sufficient expertise to maintain their stormwater systems.
“Why do we have this situation where those storm ponds are not working to the capacity they’re supposed to? For example, the City of Calgary builds storm ponds that are all piped, not just ditches and culverts, and they can contain the water, but ours cannot contain our overflows. Are our standards outdated, or is this a one-in-100-year event? Where do we fall short so our neighbours don’t face this situation, especially since they have more urban development than we do?”
The county has a one-in-100-year storm model, but this year is atypical.
“In wet years like this, all three components — infiltration, evaporation and irrigation — have been limited because the ground is saturated,” explained COO Reimann. “Our standards are aligned with one-in-100-year design principles. Is there a need to look at something different? Definitely. Some developers have introduced stormwater designs for one-in-200-year or higher events, so there are options.”
Division 5 Councillor Greg Boehlke offered a different perspective. He noted recent heavy localized rains differ from the one-in-100-year storm in 2013 that washed out a home into the river and destroyed a restaurant in Bragg Creek.
He acknowledged the county’s heavy investment in stormwater infrastructure but questioned whether it is on the right track.
“Obviously, something isn’t built to the capacity council expected. When you see the money invested and then spot rains cause this kind of damage, maybe we’re not on the right track and there’s a problem with the engineering if it can’t handle the storms.”
Reimann told council the system has been phased in to ultimately deliver the full CSMI— a costly project also involving Calgary and Strathmore.
“If there’s a conversation during the capital program about building it all at once, we can discuss that,” said Reimann. “But the CSMI infrastructure on the east side represents about an $80 million investment. We want to avoid overbuilding and are using our levy program to collect additional revenue to help fund this infrastructure.”
Long-term initiatives outlined in the administration’s report include:
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Infrastructure upgrades: Analyze and identify multi-layered flood mitigation alternatives, including expanded stormwater capacity in high-risk communities.
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Upstream watershed management: Collaborate on upstream/downstream initiatives to regulate water flow and reduce flood impacts.
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Adaptive improvements: Incorporate future climate impacts into flood modelling and infrastructure designs to address more frequent and intense rainfall.
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Policy and land-use considerations: Refine regulations for flood-prone areas and support property-level mitigation efforts.
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Ongoing funding and partnerships: Pursue external funding and work with provincial and federal partners to secure resources for long-term flood resilience.
Councillor Samantha Wright expressed concern that some residents feel abandoned amid the damage to their properties. She called for improved communication between the county and residents about actions being taken.
“There’s a feeling people are being left behind when, really, we’re just overwhelmed,” she said.
“I think we need to let residents know we understand. We need to be more empathetic and compassionate — to say we haven’t forgotten about you and we’re still working on it, but a lot is going on. That would go a long way.”