Ghost Reservoir levels lowered for flood prevention
TransAlta strikes year-long agreement with province to help prevent flooding on Bow River
TransAlta has agreed to lower the levels at the Ghost Reservoir on the Bow River upstream of Calgary again this year to help with flood mitigation efforts.
The $2-million agreement with the provincial government, which lasts a year, has TransAlta gradually bring water levels down six meters — four metres more than last year's pilot agreement.
"Our operations aren't sort of set up for these kinds of flood mitigation efforts but we're working with the government," said company spokeswoman Leanne Yohemas.
The company worked to make sure the local fish population was not impacted, she said.
"When we lower the dam to a certain level it can create little areas of pooling where the fish can't migrate. So, what we did two weeks ago, we rescued the fish [and] held them in little holding things and then released the fish," she said.
The reservoir will be held at the lowered volume until July 7 unless otherwise requested by the province.