Woodlands Woodbine Community Drainage Improvements

The City’s Community Drainage Improvements Program works toward mitigating overland flooding in areas throughout the City. Drainage studies were undertaken to identify solutions for communities frequently hit by flooding due to extreme rainfall. Such solutions can include adding additional storm drainage pipes, increasing the size of pipes, and adding wet or dry storm ponds to help manage stormwater.

In recent years the communities of Woodlands, Woodbine, Cedarbrae and Braeside have experienced an unusually high number of high volume rainfall events. These communities currently have a storm level service of a one-in-five year rainfall event or less, which was the standard at the time these communities were first built. That means that there is now a 20 percent chance (or greater) that the storm system will not handle rainfall events causing local flooding in any given year.

Drainage improvements being looked at for these communities target a 1-in-50 year level of service. Once upgrades are in place there will be a two percent chance in any given year that rain events would overwhelm the storm system.

• Braeside Dry Pond
• 24th Street Storm Trunk Diversion
• Bebo Grove Storm Pond
• Secondary Improvements

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Braeside dry pond

The City of Calgary is constructing a new dry pond in the fields located east of the John Ware and St. Benedict schools​. This dry pond will greatly reduce flooding during extreme rain events, specifically the flooding that occurs at the intersection of Southland Drive and Braeside Drive. Construction is underway and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2018.

Construction of the dry pond involves excavation and grading, underground piping and landscaping. Chain link fencing has been installed and the fields will remain inaccessible to the public for the duration of construction.

• Increased traffic and noise to site (construction crews, trucks hauling materials to and from site) on Southland Drive and on Palliser Drive. Construction access will be off of Palliser Drive.
• May 23 – June 13 - Traffic and sidewalk closures and detours
• Closure of the two westbound lanes of Southland Drive S.W. between Palliser Drive and 19 ST S.W for Braeside Dry Pond tie-ins on Southland Drive S.W. (see Figure 1).
• A two way traffic split on the eastbound lanes will be maintained during this time.
• Access to the schools and Southland Leisure Centre will also be maintained throughout.

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Community benefits

During heavy rainfall, overall vehicle and pedestrian safety will be improved, traffic congestion reduced and emergency vehicle access unimpeded by flooding. John Ware and St. Benedict schools will each receive a new soccer field (two in total) and a new baseball diamond will be built allowing for more recreational opportunities for the community.

24^th Street Storm Trunk Diversion

Construction will extend along 24^th Street from Woodview Dr. to Woodpark Blvd SW and into the Bebo Grove area of Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Phase 1 - 4: Summer to Fall 2018

• Storm sewer diversion - Installation of a storm sewer along 24^th to increase stormwater capacity and alleviate flooding.
• Surface improvements – Upgrades to the intersection of 24^th Street and Woodpark Blvd SW.
• Outfall installation – Construction of an outlet for the storm pond and relocation of the pathway in Fish Creek Park to accommodate the storm pond.

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Construction impacts:

• Construction of Phase 1 is anticipated to begin in mid-June 2018, and run until the late fall. Work is scheduled to start at either 24^th Street and Woodpark Blvd SW and progress northwards along 24 Street, or at 24^th Street and Woodview Drive SW and progress southwards.
• Portions of 24^th Street SW will be closed in stages, but access to 127^th Avenue SW will be maintained from either the south or the north, and bus routes will be maintained. Access and parking restrictions may affect certain residents, and the project team will coordinate with those affected.
• Equipment and materials will be stored at the proposed pond site in Fish Creek Provincial Park, and will be transported via the park access road. Access to the Park from 24^th Street SW, as well as access to the affected areas within the park may be limited for portions of the construction period.
• Phase 2 will take place in the spring and fall of 2019, and involve construction of the storm pond as well as bank stabilization work.
• Work on the storm trunk is being coordinated with construction necessary for the Southwest BRT. Crews will complete the storm trunk installation first, and then build the roundabout in the road right of way at 24 Street and Woodpark Boulevard to ensure work for both projects is complete in one season.

Community benefits

The storm diversion will significantly reduce flooding that occurs along 24^th Street SW and in the communities of Woodbine and Woodlands as the new trunk will be . During heavy rainfall, overall vehicle and pedestrian safety will be improved, traffic congestion reduced and emergency vehicle access unimpeded by flooding.

Bebo Grove Storm Pond

A new storm pond will be constructed in the Bebo Grove day use area of Fish Creek Provincial Park. The pond be a hybrid wet pond-wetland where wetland water levels will vary with the seasons and amount of rainfall. A new asphalt trail will be constructed around the south perimeter of the pond to connect with existing trails in Fish Creek. Construction will begin in 2019 once the storm trunk is complete, with landscaping to be completed in the summer of 2020.

Construction impacts

Construction of the pond consists of earthworks (excavation and grading), underground piping and landscaping. Construction impacts will include:

• Increased traffic to the Bebo Grove day use area of Fish Creek Park (construction crews, trucks hauling materials to and from site)
• Construction noise
• Access road and day use area will closed to the public for the duration of construction. Pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained into and throughout the park.

Community benefits

The storm pond will allow for storage of stormwater during rain events and improve the quality of the water discharged to Fish Creek by separation and settlement of suspended solids. Newly created picnic areas and lookouts surrounding the pond will provide spaces for park users to enjoy the improved aesthetics of the Bebo Grove area and the wet pond will attract more bird and wildlife species.

Secondary Improvements

This project spans Cedarbrae, Braeside, Woodlands and Woodbine, and aims to implement localized improvements in order to alleviate existing flooding issues.

Within the last year, The City identified nine high priority sites for flood mitigation with construction to begin this year. These sites were identified and prioritized by means of modelling, data collection, field checks and registered 3-1-1 complaints, with more sites to follow in 2019.

• Catch basin upgrades (Sites 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) which will improve the capture of stormwater.
• Storm sewer diversions (Sites 2 and 9) include the installation of storm pipes and catchbasins to divert and increase capacity and alleviate surcharging;
• Spill route improvements (Sites 7 and 8) improve overland flow paths and reduces the depth of ponding at spill points in the local neighbourhood.
• Installation of inlet control devices (ICD’s) – Help manage local minor system surcharging conditions by restricting stormwater captured at catch basins, and promotes ponding on the road surfaces (traplows)

Construction for this work will begin in the summer of 2018 and continue in the summer of 2019. The City will be in direct contact with residents in the immediate vicinity of each project to inform them of timelines, any impacts and to answer any questions they may have.

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Storm Sewer Diversions

Cedarpark Dr. S.W. - The work to be undertaken at Cedarpark Drive SW includes installing a new 750mm storm sewer from Cedarpark Green to Southland Drive SW, as well as re-grading the pathway connecting Cedarpark Drive to 24 ST SW. This will alleviate stormwater ponding and flooding issues at Cedarpark Drive and Cedarpark Green S.W.

Spill Route Improvements

Woodglen Rise S.W. - The work to be undertaken at Cedarpark Drive S.W. includes installing a new 750mm storm sewer from Cedarpark Green to Southland Drive S.W., as well as re-grading the pathway connecting Cedarpark Drive to 24 ST S.W. (see Fig 1). This will alleviate stormwater ponding and flooding issues at Cedarpark Drive and Cedarpark Green S.W.

Southland Dr. & 19 ST SW Intersection – Work at this location involves re-grading the intersection in order to divert overland spill from 19 ST S.W. and allow it to continue along Southland Dr. S.W. Construction for this site is anticipated in 2019.