Kananaskis River Channel Sediment Removal

During the spring flood in 2013, the Kananaskis River overtopped its banks due to high-flow conditions combined with significant sediment deposition and channel aggradation. Debris flows and high sediment loading from adjacent alpine tributaries continue to cause extensive bed material deposition in the Kananaskis River, resulting in raising of the local riverbed level and enlargement of gravel bars.​

SweetTech was retained by Alberta Parks to provide engineering services for the design, tendering, and construction management for the excavation of 8 gravel bars along the Kananaskis River, including temporary isolation of in-stream work areas, and to reduce flood risks to acceptable levels. The design process has involved extensive stakeholder consultation for working within the Kananaskis Country Golf Course and environmental considerations for in-stream works. Environmental workplans and regulatory approvals required design details for in-stream isolations, fish rescues, adaptive management plans, and contingency measures to ensure the works could be carried out with no impacts to fish or fish habitats, and/or downstream reaches.​

Work was conducted in sensitive bull trout habitat outside of the RAP, with no environmental incidents and ahead of schedule.​