Agenda Item No.: G.1.c.
Big Lake Basin Study Task Force
Recommendation:
That the January 12, 2004, Asset
Management and Public Works Department
report 2004PWD006 be received for
information.
Report Summary


The City of Edmonton participated with
its neighbouring municipalities in
studying the issue of flooding in Big
Lake and Atim Creek.
Flooding in Big Lake and Atim Creek is
a natural phenomenon and is a direct
result of its wide, flat floodplain. The
floodplain needs to be protected and
allowed to function as a floodplain.
Previous Council/Committee Action
At the July 9, 2002,Transportation and
Public Works Committee meeting, the
following motion was passed:
That the Transportation and Public
Works Committee recommend to City
Council:
1. That Councillor K. Leibovici be
appointed as the City of Edmonton’s
representative to the Big Lake Basin
Study Task Force.
2. That the City Funding of an equal
share of the outstanding Basin Study
costs to a maximum of $10,000, be
approved (funding available from the
Drainage Operating Program through
reallocation of resources).
3. That the June 18, 2002, Asset
Management and Public Works
Department report be received for
information.
Routing:
Delegation:
Written By:
January 12, 2004
File: 2004PWD006
Report
The Big Lake Basin Study Task Force was
initiated by the County of Parkland in cooperation with neighbouring municipalities
including the City of Edmonton and Alberta
Environment in the spring of 2002. The
purpose of the Task Force was to develop a
Stormwater Management Plan for the Big
Lake Drainage Basin, from Lac St. Anne
through Big Lake and draining into the
North Saskatchewan River. The northeast
corner of Edmonton lies within this drainage
basin. The following summarizes the
recommendations of the Stormwater
Management Plan for the Big Lake Drainage
Basin, and represents 0.5% of the entire
basin.
Flooding Issues
 The floodplain shall include all areas
along the watercourse that are flooded
during a 1:100 year design event and
includes the channel, the flood way and
the flood fringe.
 The floodplain areas must be protected
and preserved.
 Any development that is permitted
within the floodplain must be limited
and must be strictly controlled to ensure
that it is safe from flooding, and that it
does not cause upstream or downstream
impacts.
 Land use policies and planning tools
must be implemented consistently
throughout the basin.
 Selective work should be considered to
protect historic development within the
floodplain where it is cost-effective to do
so.
Transportation and Public Works Committee
W. D. Burn
K. Sawatzky/D. Vanderwel
Asset Management and Public Works Department
(Page 1 of 2)
G
1
c
Big Lake Basin Study Task Force
Stormwater Management
 All developments should be required to
provide stormwater management.
 A release rate of 2.5 L/s/ha is
recommended for stormwater
management in the Big Lake Basin.
 Older areas, which were developed
without stormwater management, should
be provided with regional stormwater
management facilities or their impacts
should be mitigated.
 A mechanism should be developed to
enable the various municipalities to cooperate in drainage improvements and
purchase of floodplain lands for mutual
benefit outside their municipal
boundaries.
Floodplain Management
 A detailed floodplain map should be
developed for Big Lake and other areas
along the Sturgeon River, Atim Creek
and tributary streams
 A floodplain overlay should be adopted
by all the member communities within
their statutory plans and Land Use
Bylaws, as a tool to regulate land use
and development within the floodplain.
 No development or filling should be
permitted within the floodplains except
for specifically defined land uses
(passive parks, drainage facilities, and
roads crossing the floodplain).
 Floodplain lands should be identified as
environmentally sensitive lands to be
dedicated as environmental reserve at
the time of subdivision.
 Purchase of land or conservation
easements by the provincial government,
individual municipalities, non-


governmental organizations such as
Ducks Unlimited, and other private land
trusts should be encouraged to ensure
that floodplain areas are protected and
remain in a natural state.
A Water Management Plan as defined by
the Water Act should be developed for
the Big Lake Basin to include other
water management and allocations issues
not considered within the present study.
The Province of Alberta should be
approached to fund the development of
the detailed floodplain map and the
Water Management Plan and to formally
adopt the recommendations of this report
for planning and design of stormwater
management facilities.
Background Information Available on
Request
1. Big Lake Drainage Study - Steering
Committee October 31, 2003.
(Page 2 of 2)