Developing Calgary's Flood Resilience Plan

Following the 2013 flood, The City formed the Expert Management Panel on River Flood Mitigation. The Panels’ Report included several recommendations aimed at understanding flood risk and increasing resilience.

Based on these recommendations, The City completed additional studies to better understand our flood risk. Some of these studies looked at: river changes, permanent flood barriers, groundwater and flood mitigation options.

To request copies of the detailed studies, please contact 311.

In 2016, The City of Calgary undertook a Flood Mitigation Measures Assessment to provide a recommended direction on the future of Calgary’s flood mitigation and resiliency.

Using technical assessment, sustainability analysis, collaboration with Community Advisory Groups and community engagement , we developed recommendations which take into account our principles and priorities regarding flood resiliency:

• Public safety and protecting critical infrastructure
• Sustainable watershed management
• Maximizing value for money
• Adaptability and flexibility in a changing climate
• Comparable protection on both rivers
• Community receptivity and shared responsibility

These recommendations were unanimously accepted by City Council on April 10th, 2017 and flood mitigation and resilience for Calgary has been identified as one of Council’s top priorities.

To learn more, please download the Flood Mitigation Measures Assessment Report.

You can also review the Flood Mitigation Options Assessment summary report, which is a summary of the detailed assessment report undertaken for all flood mitigation options for Calgary.

The recommendations from the Flood Mitigation Measures Assessment Report form Calgary's Flood Resilience Plan.

This three-part plan  aims to protect our city from a 2013-level flood with timely, cost-effective, and practical flood risk management, while respecting community values and staying adaptable to future uncertainties.