We now know that the flood that occurred on June 20, 2013 gathered strength and volume in the headwaters of the Elbow River deep inside Kananaskis. It did severe damage to Allen Bill Pond and Elbow Falls and wrecked the Highway 66 bridge. Trails and Provincial Recreation Areas throughout the valley were damaged. The pond at Allen Bill likely won’t be restored. This is the third time it’s been wrecked and there are environmental concerns about its repair which would carry a heavy cost. They should install a bunch of gazebo shelters on the gravel field where people could picnic. Hopefully Elbow Falls will be repaired, but that will come with a high cost. Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation announced they will spend $60-Million to repair Kananaskis, but that covers all of it including the Kananaskis Valley and Peter Lougheed Park, so only a portion will land in the Elbow Valley.
There is a controversial flood mitigation plan to dig huge basins near the headwaters of the Elbow and Oldman rivers and build berms to control them with a huge diversion tunnel under the city to collect water and control any future floods.
The first slideshow below shows the rebuilding and recovery process underway in the Elbow Valley. The second shows the damage done to the area in early July a couple of weeks after the flood.
The Elbow Valley Recovery Process
-
Elbow Falls Lookout
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/elbow_falls_lookout.jpg
After the flood the lookout was all but buried in dirt and access to the lookouts over the falls was restricted. Now the area has been cleaned up and the paved pathways are open again.
-
Watch your step
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/picnic_perch.jpg
One of the few tables left standing after the flood is perched precariously on the edge of its ashphalt pad. Although this one is still usable, I wouldn’t consider it particularly safe. Users will have to assume responsibility if they choose to use it. Bits and pieces of the dozens of tables and the ashphalt pads they sat on can be seen throughout the area.
-
Picnic Area at Elbow Falls
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/picnic.jpg
This is about all that is left – four or five of the original 40-odd tables that were one of the most popular picnic destinations in the entire province. The flood left this area buried in dirt and debris from the trees that were swept downstream. The Parks Department dug out the dirt and mulched the tree debris so the area is now accessible although much reduced in capacity to accommodate visitors. There is much work to be done next summer to rebuild. The government announced a $60-million budget to repair Kananaskis in October 2013. Hopefully part of that will be used here near the falls and more broadly through out the Elbow Valley.
-
Bridge builders show their stuff
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/builders.jpg
These workers are standing on the new bridge structure attached to the shoreline. Alberta Transport has decided to work with the new shoreline created by the flod. They will build a new span to connect the existing bridge extending the bridge to the new embankment.
-
Elbow Falls Oct. 29
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/elbow_falls_oct29.jpg
Now that the dust has settled after the flood, this is the new Elbow Falls. It isn’t quite as impressive as it was before the flood. Tonnes and tonnes of dirt and gravel from upstream including most of the picnic grounds in the Provincial Recreation Area washed over the falls and landed below it raising the river bottom and limiting the height of the falls.
-
Work underway on bridge repair
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/bridge_repair_oct29.jpg
The temporary bridge, built as a bypass, can be seen through the hole in the Highway 66 bridge over the Elbow River with a white car on it. In the left-centre you can see a brown post with a beam on top that is supporting the old bridge temporarily while they rebuild the embankment and install new supports. Work on the main bridge repair began on Sept. 19. The contractor is Graham Construction. The repair should be complete by the first week in December. Total cost should be about $4.5-million. Depending on the weather and other factors, they may have to wait until spring to pave it.
Previous Image
Next Image
Damage done in the Elbow Valley – Photo Gallery
-
Elbow Falls
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/elbow_falls_fs.jpg
Judging by the amount of activity on this web site and the number of people there whenever I go, Elbow Falls must be the most popular Recreation Area in the province of Alberta. It is popular year-round. Whether encased in ice or suging with a powerful rush of snowmelt and rainfall, it is always an attractive site to see. But it was the picnic area along the shoreline that made it so popular. Now all the paths and pads, all the tables and firepits ahve been washed away and wrecked. This is a huge loss.
-
Allen Bill Pond
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/allen_bill_fs.jpg
Allen Bill before and after the Flood of 2013. The photos on the left show the pond at its best. The dam built after the 2005 flood wasn’t quite as high and there were piles of gravel creating shallow spots. That may have been part of the reason that they prohibitted skating on the pond after 2005. Certainly the pond in its heyday was a thrill both summer and winter. It will be missed.
-
Fisherman
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_3960_fs.jpg
This man is wading into what was formerly Allen Bill Pond. Instead of a deep water body with seaweed growing and stocked fish swimming about, this area is just another part of the river. As the dam that forms the pond has been rebuilt three times after flood destroyed them, officials may not rebuild it a fourth time.
-
Closed
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_3966_fs.jpg
Many facilities are closed. This parking are in Allen Bill Pond, the River Cove Group Campground, Cobble flats and many more areas along the riverside are closed.
-
Elbow Falls Lookout
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_3972_fs.jpg
Caked in dirt and loaded with debris this popular viewing station requires a big cleanup job. This is pretty typical of most facilities along the river – that is those that haven’t been totally destroyed need a lot of work to get them back in shape. Right behind this photo there is a stairway and path that is closed as there is tree debris and mud piled up on it blocking the way.
-
Elbow Falls
https://braggcreek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_3985_fs.jpg
Some things survived unscathed. Elbow Falls itself is still a charming beauty. It is still putting on a show and drawing admirers. However it isn’t falling as far as a lot of gravel was washed downstream and deposited under the falls. There is damage and debris all around, but the falls itself was unaffected.
Previous Image
Next Image
