2023Completion Year
$159,955Project Cost
$159,955MCCAC Funding
Overview
The Town of Coaldale, in a regional partnership with Lethbridge County, received $159,955 in grant proceeds for the completion of their Malloy Drain Stormwater Improvements Feasibility Assessment.
The Town and regional partners contracted MPE Engineering to complete a feasibility assessment of the next phases of stormwater improvements in the Malloy Drainage Basin, as identified in the Malloy Drain Stormwater Master Plan.
The project was funded by the Government of Alberta, through the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre’s Climate Resilience Capacity Building Program.
Approach
The Town of Coaldale and Lethbridge County are located within the Malloy Drainage Basin, an area of nearly 22,000 hectares which is drained though a complex series of natural and constructed canals and drains. The area historically has experienced flooding during significant rainfall and snowmelt events.
The Town, County, and the St. Mary River Irrigation District have been working together for over a decade to address historical stormwater issues in the region.
This project was undertaken to determine the feasibility of adaptation measures that were outlined in the Malloy Drain Stormwater Master Plan, which was previously completed in the Planning Stream of the Climate Resilience Capacity Building Program.
This assessment investigated the feasibility of repurposing two abandoned raw water reservoirs for the purpose of storing stormwater, the construction of a new stormwater management facility in the south end of Coaldale to collect regional runoff before it enters the Town, and a gravity pipeline to connect the new stormwater management facility to the raw water reservoirs.
Results
The final report provides a geotechnical investigation of existing raw water reservoirs to determine the feasibility of repurposing them for additional stormwater storage.
A geotechnical investigation was also completed of the site of the newly proposed stormwater management facility in the south end of Coaldale, along with a review of design alternatives for the South Stormwater Management Facility.
The report recommends proceeding with the detailed design of the raw water storage reservoir site, the South Stormwater Management Facility (SMWF), and the proposed gravity conveyance pipeline between the reservoir site and the SWMF.
Throughout this project, the project team learned that substantial capital is essential to translate plans into real-world actions that build climate resilience. Mitigating flooding is a complex task that demands substantial investments in infrastructure rather than a straightforward solution.
Benefits
This assessment will provide the regional partners with a plan to minimize the social, economic, and environmental damages of climate change related to stormwater near the south portion of Coaldale.
The Town of Coaldale, Lethbridge County, and the St. Mary River Irrigation District can now better plan and implement measures that will greatly improve their resilience to flooding in the area.
The regional partners have already made significant progress, and this progress will continue as they work to implement the findings of this assessment.
The Town of Coaldale, Lethbridge County, and St. Mary River Irrigation District extend appreciation for the financial support received through the CRCB program for this project. The final deliverables play a crucial role in bringing the team closer to the shovel-ready stage, facilitating tangible improvements that will strengthen our capacity to manage stormwater at a regional level.
Dustin Yanke, Manager of Infrastructure
