Streambank erosion has been occurring for some time and is threatening City infrastructure, adjacent homes, and park facilities in the Mill Creek trail network. The City of Edmonton requested Associated Engineering to assess the existing and potential erosion sites, provide mitigation measures and develop an erosion control plan, and identify flood risk areas along Mill Creek in Southeast Edmonton.
Key objectives were:
- Assess the degree of erosion potential and flood risk for the various reaches of Mill Creek that minimizes the long-term risk to the City.
- Provide an implementation plan with projected mitigation requirements and associated costs; identify any upgrading requirements that need to be addressed on a priority basis.
- Provide a knowledge-based erosion control plan that can be communicated to the City, and other stakeholders of the present and future, and is integrated with the City’s overall vision for sustainability and environmental protection and Mill Creek trail network.
- Enhance the knowledge base of City’s staff and inform the future development of a Trail Master Plan for Mill Creek.
The assessment was completed using a coupled 1-D and 2-D model using Mike FLOOD to estimate flood depths, extents, velocity, and shear stress within the channel and to identify vulnerable areas and assess options. This was supported by a morphological assessment to identify remedial measures and costs for a variety of erosion control measures.