CALGARY, ALBERTA
PROJECT SUMMARY
West Eau Claire Park is a popular area along the Bow River, just north and west of downtown and near the iconic Peace Bridge. The City of Calgary wished to connect the community with the Bow River and also provide important flood protection for downtown Calgary. The park was redeveloped through widening and raising the existing pathway, protecting and enhancing the river bank, and grading and landscaping the south overbank area to protect against a 1:200-year flood event with 0.5 m of freeboard.
OUR ROLE
Matrix supported O2 Planning + Design Inc. with:
- Hydrotechnical design
- Environmental assessments
- Regulatory applications
- Environmental support and field engineering during construction
PROJECT OUTCOMES AND CHALLENGES
This was one of the first major flood protection projects built within the city of Calgary following the 2013 flood. The design included components within the floodway of the Bow River. We assessed river hydraulics and demonstrated that these encroachments had no negative impact on flood levels, successfully obtaining regulatory approval to build in the floodway.
In 2020, the project received an Award of Excellence from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. Also in 2020, the project was announced as the only Canadian finalist for the Urban Land Institute’s Open Space Awards.
CLIENT
SECTOR
Urban Infrastructure
PROJECT LIFESPAN
2016-2018
SERVICES PROVIDED
- River Engineering Assessment and Design
- Channel Enhancement and Protection
- Aquatic Resources Assessment and Monitoring
- Hydrologic and Hydraulic Assessment
- Biophysical Impact Assessment
- Regulatory Approvals
- Field Engineering during Construction
- Environmental Monitoring during Construction