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An EALT partnership is one of 8 applications selected by the City for funding assistance.

November 3, 2008

The Community Partnership Programme funded by the City of Edmonton through its ICLEI Community Programme, has agreed to provide a small grant to an innovative project: “Interpretation of Big Lake Stormwater Management Bioswales and Wetland”.

EALT approached the developer, United Big Lake Corporation, who are the implementors of a subdivision project near Lois Hole Provincial Park, close to the south shore of Big Lake. Normally, stormwaters are discharged onto roads via gutters to a catch basin in the City’s stormwater drainage system. In this project, although the design meets and exceeds the City’s urban standards, only about half the area will be conventionally piped while the other half will have bioswales (grassy swale areas with shrubs) and constructed wetland habitat.

The bioswales and wetlands, will have a very positive impact on water treatment requirements. There will be longer water retention times (so longer absorption times) before discharge into Big Lake. This will reduce sediment and nutrient discharged into the Lake, which already is a sensitive ecosystem with high nutrient loadings.

This is the first time that the City of Edmonton has approved of this system in a residential subdivision. The Land Trust is interested in the environmental benefits to Big Lake natural area, as well as educational opportunities via interpretive signage and literature. Thus the focus will be on interpreting the range of benefits of this project (environmental, economic, infrastructural and social). Key EALT project interests are:
developing quality signage providing interpretive information to residents and the general public
creating illustrated literature interpreting the project, its reasons, and its range of benefits

We congratulate the developer on their plans to monitor project results and benefits ongoing. We expect construction of this project to occur next year, with completion by the end of summer. Look for interpretive literature, then, on the EALT website!

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