After reviewing multiple options, the Alberta government has determined that the relocated Ghost Dam option is significantly better than the Glenbow East option due to its lower cost, ability to mitigate future droughts and floods, and fewer social and environmental impacts.

The Bow River runs through the most populated regions of Alberta, so managing water levels in this river is important to help the province respond to floods, droughts and other extreme weather. Past events like the 2013 floods have shown the importance of protecting communities downstream.

“Increasing water storage capacity is critical to protecting Calgary and other communities along the Bow River from future floods and drought. Based on the data collected in the study, one option, the relocated Ghost Dam, is clearly the best choice to move forward with,” said Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz.

In 2013, the southern Alberta flood caused more than $5 billion in damage in Calgary and surrounding communities. Creating additional water storage will significantly reduce the impact of severe weather events on Albertans who live and work around the Calgary area.

After extensive study, Alberta’s government is moving forward with exploring the relocated Ghost Dam option because it has a smaller project footprint and fewer overall impacts to the environment, property and infrastructure, while providing comparable water storage to the Glenbow East option.

The Glenbow East option posed higher risks to downstream communities during construction, including Calgary. Its earthfill dam would also be more susceptible to erosion and failure during large flood events compared to the Relocated Ghost Dam, which is a concrete gravity dam.

Alberta will now move to the next phase of the project. Phase 3 is the engineering and regulatory approval phase, and more information on this work will be shared in 2025.