(Picture from Kerr Wood Leidel)
Lumby residents have had a chance to hear an overview of the earthworks the village constructed during last year’s flooding.
Consulting engineers Kerr Wood Leidel gave a presentation at a townhall meeting this week.
Lumby CAO Tom Kadla says It’s an extensive overview of the temporary diking that was done.
“So we knew that it wouldn’t be up to the diking standard. So there’s options there where if we do become the diking authority then you know the earthworks will have to be worked on at a very large cost.”
That cost is estimated at as much as 10 million dollars.
Kadla says that would have to be done with the help of infrastructure grants and it would have to be done in phases.
Residents were given a clear picture of what they can and can’t do.
“What the province has told us, until the assessments and everything is done, the province recommends not touch them. Some residents, you know, wanted to modify them and that sort of thing because they’ve matured into their private property.”
Kadla says an RFP is still out for consulting engineers to conduct a flood mitigation plan for the village.
Once that is complete, the village will have a better idea of the next steps.
“With those two reports we then meet with the province and sort of discuss what are the next steps, whether the earthworks stay or go.”
Kadla says the main goal during last year’s flooding was to protect property and life.
They knew that in proper diking a certain standard has to be met with the material used must meet that standard and has to be compacted.
Last year there just wasn’t the time to do all that.
Kadla says if Lumby was to become the diking authority it would be a challenge to meet all the criteria because it it is just a small community.
He says the RFP for the mitigation plan will close in a couple of weeks and the proponents will need to meet a quick timeline, preferably before the end of the year.
A lot of variables will come into play, including water hydrology, flood plain mapping and even climate change.
