An Edmonton company is being recognized on a national level for their work around Fort McMurray after the Horse River wildfire.
Associated Engineering received two ‘Awards of Excellence’ at the 2020 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards held virtually on Thursday.
The first was for their work on the Dawson City water treatment plant and the second for identifying areas in the community at risk of flooding and landslides.
After being hired by the municipality, Associated Engineering conducted multiple assessments and evaluations which led them to identify 14 high-risk sites.
The company decided soil bioengineering – which uses live plant materials to provide erosion control, slope, and landscape restoration – was the best way to protect these areas as heavy equipment would only further damage the sensitive environment.
Nearly 70,000 m2 of land was restored.
“We are honoured to be recognized for demonstrating on a broad scale that bioengineering can be employed to prevent erosion, stabilize slopes, and restore watersheds and wildlife habitat in one of the largest projects of its kind in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo,” said Jason Vanderzwaag, Project Manager.
Meanwhile, there continue to be slope stability issues in Waterways and, according to the Fort McMurray Today, in Draper as well.
The RMWB also bought out 21 properties on Cliff Avenue and High Avenue back in 2017 over concerns of the Waterways hill moving. In the last month, the slope has shifted damaging three properties.
The majority of the sites Associated Engineering worked on were located in natural areas.