DICKSON DAM

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• Alberta Environments
• River Forecast Centre
• Presentation to the Alberta Broadcasters Public
  Alerting Recognition Symposium
• Red Deer, Alberta
• January 14, 2008
• Scott Vatcher, P.Eng. Forecaster, Flow
  Forecasting

Red Deer River near Drumheller June 2005
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What River Forecasting Does

• Real-time monitoring and reporting
• Water Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Water Supply Forecasting
• Flood Forecasting

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1. What do we monitor and report?
Real-time data

• Stream levels and flows
• Lake and reservoir levels
• Precipitation
• Snowpack
• Temperature, wind, humidity
• Water quality

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Real-time Hydrometric Stations

• Over 350 currently
• Stream, lake, reservoir levels
• Satellite/phone links

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Real-time Meteorological Stations
218 Federal and Provincial
Hourly Data

• Precipitation
• Temperature
• Relative humidity
• Wind speed

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Forestry Meteorological Stations

• 190 stations
• Mostly in north
• Most report 2x-daily
• Some report 1x-daily

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Snow Course Sites
71 Plains
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Snow Pillows

• 13 Mountain Sites
• (new site at South Esk)
• 2 Plains Area Sites

USES

• Snow-on-ground
• Snow / Rain indicators
• Melt rates

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2. Water Management
Provide information to support in real-time

• In-stream flow needs
• (Fish, water intakes, ferry crossings)
• Apportionment (sharing) agreements
• Prairie Provinces, U.S.
• Natural Flows
• License requirements
• Water Quality
• QA/QC of real-time data

Waterton Reservoir
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3. Infrastructure Management

• 5.2 Billion of provincial water infrastructure
  in Alberta
• Develop flood operating procedures and provide
  operational advice to dam operators
• Conduct annual flood drills for provincially
  owned reservoirs
• Provide cross-check of operations during floods
• Coordinate with Trans Alta Utilities
• Provide technical resources and secondary
  notification of potential dam emergencies
  coordinated with Emergency Management Alberta
• Provide forecasts for
• Floods
• Water quality
• Water supply
• Reservoir Inflows
• Natural flows

Oldman River Dam
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4. Water Supply Forecasting

• Current conditions reporting assesses snowpack,
  precipitation and soil moisture conditions and
  their impact for runoff potential

08-2001

• Runoff forecasts and current conditions are
  updated monthly and published in the Water Supply
  Outlook for Alberta (20 forecast points)

• Runoff forecast used by others to plan allotment
  of reservoir water supplies for irrigation,
  hydroelectric, and community municipal purposes
  and reservoir operations

09-2002
Chin Reservoir
Photos by Wally Chinn
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5. Flood Forecasting

• Forecast floods and flows
• Issue Advisory and Warnings
• High Streamflow Advisories
• Flood Watches
• Flood Warnings
• Assist Alberta Environments River Engineering in
  issuing advisories and warnings for ice and ice
  jams

High River June 2005
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Why is Forecasting Necessary?

• Potential to reduce Flood Damage by Flood
  Avoidance
• 66 Communities Identified having a Flood Risk
• 36 of 66 have forecast procedures developed

• Potential to reduce Flood Peaks using Reservoir
  Storage
• 5 Major Government 10 Major Private Reservoirs
  located upstream of populated centres with
  potential for flood attenuation

North Saskatchewan River at Edmonton July 1986
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Why is Forecasting Necessary?

• Rapid Response Time of Mountain / Foothill
  Streams
• Rapid Response FLASH FLOODS in Southern
  Alberta and Swan Hills
• Response time much longer in Northern Alberta

• Variety of Flood Conditions
• Snowmelt
• Plains - March - April
• Only smaller streams affected (Paddle, Battle,
  Vermilion, etc)
• Ice jams
• Mountains - May - July
• No flooding of major rivers by mountain
  snowmelt alone
• Rainfall
• Affects all rivers in Alberta
• Flooding along major rivers is caused by heavy
  rainfall or heavy rainfall during mountain
  snowmelt

Oldman River at Lethbridge June 2005
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Importance of Weather Forecasting

• Lead time prior to onset of storm
• Quick response times of many rivers
• Identify major storm patterns
• Storms can cover large area of the Province
• Partnerships with Meteorological Service of
  Canada, and Alberta Sustainable Resource
  Development (Fire Weather), who provide weather
  forecasts
• Satellite and radar imagery used to track weather
  systems

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Provincial Responsibilities for Floods

• Department of Environment Lead Agency
• Flow Forecasting
• Issuing of flood related advisories and warnings
• Provide information/forecasts about the floods
• Coordinate all information from government and
  non-government agencies and provide value added
  information to all stakeholders, including the
  public
• Coordinate reservoir operations to provide early
  warning and forecasts for communities
• Water Operations
• Operate the 5.2 billion of infrastructure in the
  province
• Disaster Services Act
• Municipalities are tasked with the due care and
  safety of their citizens response on the ground
• When overwhelmed in an emergency, provincial help
  is available through Emergency Management Alberta

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Media
River Forecasting
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Alerts
If a storm is forecast to cause major changes in
streamflow, we can issue up to 3 levels of alerts
Flood Watch
High Streamflow Advisory
A High Streamflow Advisory means that stream
levels are rising or expected to rise rapidly and
no major flooding is expected. Minor flooding in
low-lying areas is possible. Anyone situated
close to the streams affected (campers,
fishermen, boaters, and the general public) is
advised to be cautious of the rising levels.
A Flood Watch means that stream levels are rising
and will approach and may exceed bank full.
Flooding of areas adjacent to these streams may
occur. Anyone situated close to these streams is
advised to take appropriate precautionary
measures.
Paddle River - 2001
Paddle River - 2001
Flood Warning
A Flood Warning means that rising river levels
will result in flooding of areas adjacent to the
streams affected. Anyone situated close to the
river should take appropriate measures to avoid
flood damage.
Red Deer River at Drumheller June 2005
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Spring Runoff Advisory
A Spring Runoff Advisory means that stream levels
are rising or expected to rise due to snowmelt
and no major flooding is expected. Minor
flooding in low-lying areas is possible. Anyone
situated close to the streams affected (property
owners and the general public) is advised to be
cautious of the rising levels.
Medicine River - 1999
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What
When
Where
Why
Next Update
Definitions
Contacts
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Forecasters Comments
Impact Gave Forecasters an opportunity to put
out more information restricted to one page on
fax
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Communicating Flood Related Information

• FAX
• Two FAX Broadcast Systems - can notify 400
  clients in 30 minutes

• TELEPHONE
• Automated notification system operational since
  the 2004 season

• INTERNET
• http//www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/ws/advisories/
• Numerous data and information products
  (Forecasters Comments) available

• IVR (Interactive Telephone Response)

• RADIO AND TELEVISION
• Emergency Public Warning System

North Saskatchewan River at Edmonton June 2005
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When They Are Notified

• Stage 1 - Anticipation Of Major Storm
• Verify Weather Forecasts
• Forecasting Staff - Allocate Manpower for Shift
  (7x24 two 12 hour shifts required)
• Notify Dam Operators
• Usually 12 - 48 Hours Prior to Start of Storm
• Information in Forecasters Comments

• Stage 2 - Heavy Rainfall Warning Issued or High
  Streamflow Situation
• Assess Situation Identify Problem Areas
• Notify Other Water Managers
• Qualitative Forecasts
• Update Dam Operators, Water Managers
• Alert Local Authorities, Media (Advisory)

• Stage 3 - Flood Emergency
• Quantitative Forecasts (Time and Stage of peak)
• Alert as in Stage 2

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Questions?
Sundre June 2005
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June 2005 Flood Events
Bearberry Creek at Sundre June 2005
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June 2005 Flood Events

• In June 2005, three major flood events occurred
  in a short period of time
• The flood event covered a large geographic area
• In many areas, these events are the worst floods
  on record

Red Deer River upstream of Red Deer June 2005
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Chronology of Key Events Red Deer
Wednesday, June 15 130 pm Call to Dickson Dam
to inform of potential rain event over the
weekend 330 pm Dickson Dam begins to
pre-release from reservoir Thursday, June 16
910 am High Streamflow Advisory issued for
downstream of Dickson Dam, including Red Deer and
Drumheller 940 am Calls to Red Deer,
Drumheller and other local municipalities about
possibility of large flows over the weekend 100
pm Emergency Management Alberta notified of
potential heavy rain event for the Oldman, Bow
and Red Deer River basins
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Chronology of Key Events Red Deer

• Friday, June 17
• 945 am Flood Watch issued for streams and rivers
  upstream of Dickson Dam, including the mainstem
  of the Red Deer also included Little Red Deer
  River
• 1200 pm Precipitation begins in headwaters of
  Red Deer River basin
• Saturday, June 18
• 810 am Flood Warning issued for Red Deer River
  upstream of Dickson Dam (not including Sundre)
  and Little Red Deer River
• 920 am Flood Warning issued for Sundre and for
  James and Raven Rivers Broadcast on Emergency
  Public Warning System
• 1200 pm Red Deer, Drumheller and other local
  municipalities advised of major flood event to
  affect towns preliminary forecasts given
• 1230 pm EMA advised of situation to affect Red
  Deer and Drumheller
• 1245 pm Flood Warning issued for Red Deer River
  downstream of Dickson Dam, including Red Deer and
  Drumheller
• 200 pm Water levels in Dickson Dam begin to
  rise
• 230 pm RFC notified by WSC of measurement at
  Little Red Deer River near Water Valley of 568
  m³/s

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Alberta June 2005 Floods by the numbers

• Number of storm events 4
• Number of flood events 3
• Number of times High River and Okotoks flooded in
  22 days 3
• Number of years to the day from the last flood in
  High River to the first one this year 10
• Number of stations recording flood of record 21
• Number of communities declaring local states of
  emergency 29
• Highest flow recorded 3,832 m3/s
• South Saskatchewan River at Medicine Hat
• Number of provinces flooded as a result of second
  event 3
• Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

• Preliminary damage estimate 700 million

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Alberta June 2005 Floods by the numbers

• Number of advisories issued by River Forecasting
  44
• Number of phone calls to/from River Forecasting
  2,566
• Number of faxes sent by River Forecasting 26,436
• Number of web hits to flood information 774,310
• Previous High 179,266 - June 2002
• Most web hits in one day 98,310 - June 7, 2005
• Number of gauge site visits by Water Survey of
  Canada and AENV field staff 352
• Number of gauge measurements conducted by WSC and
  AENV field staff in June 204
• Number of days that River Forecasting was on
  7x24 22
• Number of overtime hours worked by River
  Forecasting, Data Management and System Support
  1,553
• Number of times Emergency Public Warning System
  used by River Forecasting 7