2020 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Bioengineering Restores Ecological Loss After Wildfires
Associated Engineering
“A clever solution, done with lots of care.” –Jury 50
www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
CCE_OctNov2020_AMS.indd 50
Alberta’s 2016 Horse River Wildfire devastated Fort McMurray and other areas in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB). In total, more than 500,000 hectares of land were incinerated. And many areas lost vegetation and soil function and saw increases in runoff and erosion. As part of the immediate emergency response, trees and shrubs were clear-cut to create firebreaks and prevent further spread. The equipment altered natural drainage patterns, compacted existing soils and reduced the ability for these areas to absorb water, causing drainage to flow to erosion-prone areas.
Recognizing the potential for future flooding and landslides, RMWB retained Associated Engineering to prioritize and restore damaged sites. The resulting erosion and drainage control project demonstrated a broadscale application of bioengineering. Deciding where to begin Engineers and environmental scientists conducted a preliminary assessment, which identified more than 300 damaged sites. Field data was combined with light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and infrastructure datasets to develop a matrix for prioritization. After developing evaluation criteria
October/November 2020
2020-10-05 9:16 AM
