UPDATED – NOTICE SERVICE DISRUPTION – B CANAL
Monday June 9th Update
WID exercised it right to repair on our ROW and WID crews excavated and removed a portion of the 10’ diameter culvert used for the road crossing. Crews began removing the crossing at approximately 11:30 am Friday, had water running at approximately 6:30pm Friday evening, and had full flow achieved before noon on Saturday. Unfortunately for those irrigators who use this highway for access, the WID had to remove a large majority of the North Lane but were able to keep the south lane available for single lane access. The crossing and highway will be fully repaired in the offseason. Once again we apologize to those affected for this service delivery disruption and will continue to work with our stakeholders, such Rocky View County on replacement of crossings.
Friday June 5th
In the evening of Thursday, June 5 the WID became aware of a water disruption on B-Canal, west of Highway 9. Upon immediate investigation, it was determined that a significant culvert failure in the Rocky View County’s Township Road 250 (McKnight) crossing was restricting flow in B-Canal and causing an upstream backup. Quick action by WID Operations was taken to shut off and divert flow to avoid a wash out and potential downstream damage. Rocky View County was notified and jointly with the WID, monitored the emergency through the night.
On the morning of Friday June 6th, water had receded. WID crews and equipment were mobilized onsite to investigate culvert failure. Minimal to no water is flowing in B-Canal, causing a disruption of water delivery to several irrigators and water users down-stream. WID Operations is communicating with the affected irrigators and water users. The WID is working with Rockyview County to find a timely solution to restore water service. Our crews are in control of the site to ensure the water disruption is minimized. The WID expects water to start flowing early Saturday, June 7.
Thank you for your patience. Please contact your Water District Supervisor for any water related inquiries.
IMPORTANT WATER USE UPDATES
WID Water Advisory is at Level 0
The Bow River is currently experiencing strong flows as the high elevation snowpack begins to melt due to recent warm weather. Water storage in the upper Bow River is average for this time of year, with snowpack depletion expected to occur about a week earlier than usual, typically by the end of June. The snowpack was lower than the historical average for the basin, according to the Government of Alberta.
The long-range forecast for the Bow Basin indicates above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation in Southern Alberta for June, July, and August. The Western Irrigation District (WID) encourages all irrigators to apply water as soon as possible to take advantage of the current abundance. We do not anticipate any water restrictions in the foreseeable future but will continue to monitor the water supply situation and update our users accordingly.
Western Irrigation District
Serving Irrigators East of Calgary for More Than 75 Years
