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It is anticipated the new structure will be able to stop as much as 650,000 cubic metres of water and sediment.

By comparison, there were roughly 90,000 cubic metres of debris in the 2013 flood, which led to the evacuation of 1,200 residents from 300 homes near the creek.

During heavy rainfalls, the new structure is designed to direct water along with large wood and rock debris into an inundation area. The water will then be released back to the Cougar Creek downstream of the structure in a controlled manner.

“(A detailed risk assessment) showed we had a high risk of loss of life. We had a significant economic risk,” Esarte said.

“That left us looking at different structural mitigation approaches in addition to updating emergency response plans and looking at how we develop.

“Ultimately, (we) settled on the debris flood retention structure as both the most economical solution … and it also provided the highest amount of risk reduction.”

Esarte said work had been done on the area in 2012 before the town experienced a one-in-100-year flood.

“It had (caused) a bunch of bank erosion and we were worried at the time we might even lose a pedestrian bridge,” he said.

“After that event, we thought we had the big one because based on all the studies that had been done before, that was a flow we could expect once in a hundred years.”

Crews worked to strengthen the eroded banks when the 2013 flood happened.

“Within 24 hours, all the protection we put in place and all the understanding we thought we had disappeared,” said Eserte.