Alberta’s government will spend more than $28 million to help communities prepare for droughts and floods, supporting families, businesses, and critical infrastructure across the province.The funding includes $25 million for 12 projects through the Drought and Flood Protection Program and $3.5 million for initiatives under the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program. The investments aim to expand water supply and storage, improve watershed health, and protect homes, roads, and infrastructure during extreme weather events.“Spending in drought and flood protection keeps communities safe, while allowing them to continue to grow and thrive,” said Grant Hunter. “This helps ensure safe and reliable access to water while making Alberta more resilient to extreme weather events.”The Drought and Flood Protection Program has received $125 million over five years, with $75 million already spent on 40 projects. This year’s funding will support improvements such as upgrades to the Therriault Dam emergency spillway in Pincher Creek, flood mitigation equipment purchases in Drumheller, and enhanced water storage and supply in Foothills County, Okotoks, Mountain View County, Sylvan Lake, and the Municipal District of Smoky River. Drainage and flooding issues will also be addressed in Sexsmith, Taber, and on Samson Cree Nation, Alexander First Nation, and Whitefish Lake First Nation..“Because we’re in the headwaters of the Oldman River basin, our municipality feels the impacts of both drought and flooding,” said Rick Lamire, reeve of Pincher Creek. “This year’s funding will help protect our largest reservoir during flood years and help us make plans to use our water wisely during dry times, especially for our agricultural community.”The Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program will fund wetland and riparian restoration projects to improve the ability of Alberta’s watersheds to hold water during extreme events. Projects include wetland restoration in Taber, riparian assessments west of Edmonton by the Riparian Management Society (Cows and Fish), and streambank and shoreline restoration across multiple river basins with the help of Rocky View County, Alberta Conservation Association, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, Starland County, Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association, and Red Deer County. Training for community members on restoration techniques will also be provided on Kapawe’no First Nation and through the Wabamun Watershed Management Council.The government said the next round of funding applications will open in October, with $25 million available to support additional projects protecting Alberta’s families, businesses, and communities from drought and flood risks.
