Dealing with Drainage After Historic Rainfall
This year’s historic rainfall has left standing water across many parts of Parkland County. We understand how stressful it can be to see water remaining near homes, fields, roads and driveways after an extended period of wet weather and saturated ground conditions.
In rural areas, water does not always drain through engineered stormwater systems. Many properties, particularly those in older subdivisions, rely on the natural drainage features such as, land contours, roadside ditches, wetlands, and historic drainage routes to move water through the surrounding watershed.
Following significant or repeated rainfall, the ground, ditches, ponds, and wetlands may already be at or near capacity. This means additional water has fewer places to go and may temporarily collect in yards, fields, and other low-lying areas.
Even when water is flowing and drainage infrastructure is functioning as intended, it can take time for the entire watershed to draw down. In some areas, standing water may take several weeks to recede, particularly when the ground remains saturated or additional rain continues.
The presence of standing water does not necessarily indicate a failure of County drainage infrastructure. In many cases, current conditions reflect a combination of natural topography, historic drainage patterns, and the unusually large volumes of water moving through the regional watershed.
Planning for Future Drainage Improvements
Parkland County’s Stormwater Master Plan provides a long-term framework for managing stormwater across the municipality.
As part of the plan’s implementation, the County is identifying locations that may benefit from more detailed local stormwater studies. These studies will help improve the understanding of long-standing drainage challenges, evaluate possible improvements to infrastructure or natural drainage systems, estimate costs and prioritize future projects based on risk, need and available funding.
Drainage improvements require careful planning. Alterations to exiting drainage routes, increasing capacity, and flow rates must be fully reviewed as changes in one location can affect neighbouring properties or create concerns downstream. While larger improvements may take time to investigate, design and fund, the Stormwater Master Plan provides a framework to support informed decisions and guide future investment.
We recognize the challenges these unusually wet conditions have created for residents and landowners. As rainfall slows and the broader watershed gradually recovers, water levels are expected to recede across the County.
