Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) Plans and Approvals
Find out if you require an ESC Plan for your project
Total site size | ESC Plan requirements / communication with The City |
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Less than 0.4ha: Without characteristics that indicate greater than normal ESC concerns*. |
You do not require an ESC Plan or communication with The City but you must:
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Less than 0.4ha: With characteristics that indicate greater than normal ESC concerns* |
Contact 311 to determine if an ESC Plan or Good Housekeeping letter is required.
After a review process, either an Approval letter or a Good Housekeeping letter may be issued by The City and is required prior to the commencement of construction. |
Equal to or greater than 0.4ha: Less than 0.4ha exposed to erosion |
Submit a Good Housekeeping Request via email to ESC@calgary.ca including:
After the review process is complete, a Good Housekeeping letter may be issued by The City and is required prior to the commencement of construction.. |
Equal to or greater than 0.4ha |
Refer to the How to submit your ESC Plan section below. After the review process is complete, an Approval letter may be issued by The City and is required prior to the commencement of construction. |
* Greater than normal ESC concerns could include adjacent environmental reserves, steep slopes leading directly to natural waterbodies, or other abnormal ESC risks
The City reserves the right to request an ESC Plan or Good Housekeeping letter on any site that is less than 0.4 ha if The City believes there is potential of an adverse effect to property, infrastructure, health, safety, or the environment.
How to submit your ESC Plan
Submit ESC applications digitally.
Application type | 1st Submission | Resubmissions |
---|---|---|
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Email to the project’s assigned Engineering Generalist |
Email to ESC@calgary.ca |
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Email to ESC@calgary.ca |
Email to ESC@calgary.ca |
Note: Within three business days, electronic submissions will receive a confirmation email with a review timeframe. Contact us at ESC@calgary.ca if you have applied and did not receive this confirmation within that time period.
A digital ESC Plan must consist of four PDF documents with the following mandatory naming conventions and content. Use the appropriate land use application number (e.g. CD, DA, DP, DL) The example below shows a Development Permit.
Title - Mandatory Naming Convention | Content examples |
---|---|
DP-2022-XXXXX Project Name - ESC Application |
Fillable PDF |
DP-2022-XXXXX Project Name - ESC Drawings |
Digital drawings (ESC1 - ESC10) |
DP-2022-XXXXX Project Name - Geotechnical Documents |
Geotechnical report, letters, nomographs |
DP-2022-XXXXX Project Name - Attachments |
Photos (combine into a single PDF), specifications, haul routes, permission letters, etc. |
The maximum file size is 20MB, if your file exceeds this size, contact ESC@calgary.ca for assistance.
Timelines for obtaining ESC Plan approval
The City commits to reviewing each ESC Plan submitted to The City within 14 business days. It is common for ESC Plans to require two or three submissions before an ESC Approval letter is granted and construction can begin. Avoid delays to your construction start date by scheduling adequate time for the entire ESC Plan approval process which can often take anywhere from three to 12+ weeks.
ESC Plan application form and support documents
An ESC Plan consists of the ESC Plan application form, drawings, required documentation and the relevant ESC Standard Specifications.
This year, we have updated our ESC documents and will be switching to the 2022 process for new applications starting on June 1, 2022. Refer to the following table for clarity on timelines associated with the process updates.
Date | First Submission | Resubmissions |
---|---|---|
Immediately - May 31, 2022 |
2017 Application or 2022 Application |
Same Application as initial submission or 2022 Application |
June 1, 2022 |
2022 Application |
Same Application as initial submission or 2022 Application |
View a recording of the 2022 Document Updates presentation from April 28, 2022
A Qualified Designer must either use and follow all 2017 or all 2022 documents, the document are not interchangeable. Review the Application Timelines table above to determine which versions of the documents can or must be followed.
2017 | Document Type | 2022 |
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ESC Plan application This fillable form is required for all ESC Plans. The application will inform which drawing you will be required to submit with your plan. |
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ESC Plan application instructions This document provides a detailed explanation of requirements for each section of the application. |
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ESC Standard Specifications The specifications set our requirements for construction site ESC in Calgary. Use them as a reference when creating ESC Plans. The specifications form part of all approved ESC Plans and must be followed during all stages of construction.
Your plan must align with the general requirements section, and any specific erosion control or practice you are using must follow the implementation, maintenance, inspection, and removal requirements outlined within this document. |
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ESC Guidelines The guidelines provides an introduction to ESC principles, local regulatory requirements, ESC Plan design requirements, and considerations. The guidelines are intended to support the planning and design stages of ESC projects in Calgary.
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ESC Plan supporting tools
Section 6.0 Non–standard erosion and sediment control practices
To add additional non-standard erosion and sediment controls or support practices to your designs, include this section with your application.
Section 9.2 RUSLE Calculator
To make RUSLE calculations more streamlined and consistent, The City has created a RUSLE Calculator.
Section 9.3 Inspection Form
All inspection forms must be available onsite for a City inspector to review. Download a fillable WORD form.
Section 9.4 Sediment Containment System Information and Sediment System Design Information Sheet
To make adding the Sediment Containment System information easier to provide, The City created this expandable Excel table. Sediment containment systems are a cost-effective way to influence your P-value and slope length using skill-sets and equipment found on most sites. Download this information sheet to learn more.
Section 11.0 Drawing requirements
ESC Application Drawing and RUSLE requirements can be found here.
Example Drawings and RUSLE Calculations
ESC Inspections
ESC practices must be inspected and documented by a Qualified Inspector at least every seven days, and at critical times when erosion and sediment release could occur, such as after windy weather, significant precipitation or melt events. Find out more about ESC inspections.