Town to mitigate Aspen Pond flooding

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore will be fixing a soupy situation around Aspen Pond, where part of the town’s stormwater infrastructure is not draining as designed.
Last spring, the town received reports of localized flooding around a stormwater pond in a residential neighbourhood just north of Parkland Drive. Instead of flowing into the stormwater system, water was seeping into homeowner’s basements.
According to town administration, the problem is a result of nearby ditches and drainage structures not working correctly due to “a lack of preventative maintenance.” On April 15, town council voted to allocate $30,000 from the newfound utility reserve to remedy drainage at the pond.
This utility reserve was created by implementing new utility fees earlier this year to address unforeseen and unbudgeted expenses for utility infrastructure.
Improving stormwater infrastructure is a major initiative of the Town of Strathmore, said Ryan Roycroft, Town of Strathmore director of infrastructure, operations and development.
“Maintenance of our surface drainage really has fallen behind – it wasn’t a priority of town administration for a number of years, and we are seeing the consequences,” said Roycroft.
The town’s drainage systems are no longer functioning as intended because of this past neglect, but that’s changing, he added.
“New staff in infrastructure and operations are taking a much more serious approach now,” said Roycroft.
The town has started to clear ditches and is planning to inspect all inlets, outfalls and culverts throughout Strathmore, to track and prioritize maintenance on all drainage systems.
To fix the problem at Aspen Pond, the town staff will fist pump water out of the pond to mitigate flood risk and clear vegetation. Then, the town will be hiring a third party to conduct the remaining operations, including the redesign of the ditch slopes and grades.
The project is anticipated to take three weeks. Upon project completion, regular maintenance will be performed on the ditch to ensure proper drainage, according to town administration.