Athabasca River, May 3, 14:30
FORT McMURRAY — Updated ice-jam mapping is being credited with helping Fort McMurray avoid serious flood damage during a challenging spring breakup on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers.
The Alberta government says its $661,000 investment in updated flood mapping helped the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo prepare for and respond to this year’s ice jam.
The new information includes mapping specifically developed for ice-jam flooding, the leading cause of historic flood events in Fort McMurray.
The province says similar water levels caused severe flooding in 1997, while impacts this year were limited to parks, parking areas and riverside trails.
Observations from River Forecast Centre staff based in Fort McMurray were also used to guide the municipality’s emergency response.
“Our flood mitigation program represents one of the largest investments in the municipality’s history, and we’ve made major progress in recent years to better protect people, homes, local businesses and public infrastructure,” Mayor Sandy Bowman said in a release.
“Historically, the vast majority of flood events that impact us are due to ice jams. Having flood mapping based on the risk we experience can only help us be better prepared and able to respond, and we saw the positive effects of this approach and partnership this past spring.”
The Fort McMurray response was part of a broader test of provincial flood mitigation projects following heavy rainfall in several areas and a difficult spring breakup on northern rivers.
Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said flood resilience investments helped protect communities, homes, businesses and critical infrastructure during severe weather in the spring and summer.
“Working with municipal and Indigenous leaders, we are strengthening public safety and building resilient communities,” Hunter said.
The province launched its $125-million Drought and Flood Protection Program in 2024 to support community flood protection and public safety projects.
Alberta says 850 kilometres of flood mapping is underway as it works toward completing 3,000 kilometres of new or updated mapping by 2028.
About 1,900 kilometres of mapping has been completed for 70 municipalities and five First Nations since 2020.
The province also recently completed a $531,000 upgrade to the Alberta River Basins website and Alberta Rivers app, which provide river conditions, forecasts and public advisories.
More than 560 stations monitor river flows and water levels across Alberta, while more than 470 stations monitor rainfall.
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