Crews are working mostly by hand to remove a huge amount of debris from the Elbow River in the hopes of reducing the danger for river users and restore habitats for wildlife in Calgary.

Despite removing a whole hoard of trash from the water, officials say that the rivers will never be the same before June's flooding.

Andy Hughes, senior infrastructure engineer with the Water Resources department, says there are a number of things that have changed. "We've got erosion sites, we've got extra deposits in the river."

Work will be focused on more than 60 locations along the river, including on river banks and bridges that have been identified as having significant accumulations of debris.

Hughes says that while a lot of the waste piled up will be removed, there are some areas that will be left. "Some trees that've been swept over will be kept because they provide a benefit to wildlife going forward."

Crews will be working carefully, but they're also working against a clock. "We've got a restricted working period coming up in mid-September where any work in the river has to cease because of fish hatcheries. That runs from mid-September until next April," Hughes says.

The Elbow River should be completed later this year and work on the Bow will commence, but it will be at least until 2014 before that's done.

As a result, the city is reminding residents to be mindful of closures and detours because of the heavy equipment required for the cleanup.

The clean up process is needed to make sure the river does not pose a threat to anyone using the river or the wildlife there.

The city says they’ll be recycling all the materials collected over the two weeks the program is expected to take.

Residents concerned about pathway closures should consult the calgary.ca website for updates.

The City of Calgary would also like to inform residents of the following recovery updates:

  • Administration Building: City of Calgary employees displaced from the Administration Building as a result of the June flood began returning to the building on August 27. Repairs have been underway and the electrical and safety systems have been tested and verified as functioning normally. Historic City Hall remains closed.
  • Elbow River Pedestrian Bridges Replacement: The remains of three pedestrian bridges along the Elbow River in the communities of Britannia, Elbow Park and Rideau/Roxboro will be removed by Sept. 15, with the exception of steel towers at the bridges at Sandy Beach and Elbow Park. The bridges will undergo full reconstruction as soon as public engagement, design and construction tendering can be completed.
  • Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Engagement Session: The City will engage with Calgarians, river pathway users and area residents to ensure the new structures align with user and community needs. The first engagement session will be Sept. 17 at Christ Church 3602 8 St. S.W. from 5 - 7 p.m. Stakeholders will be given the opportunity to discuss options for bridge replacement and for those unable to attend, will have an opportunity to provide feedback by filling out a survey online, which will be available Sept. 17.
  • City Landfills: Until Sept. 2, all City landfills will accept flood-damaged waste at no charge. Starting Sept. 3rd, regular landfill rates will apply.
  • Service in Flood-Affected Areas: Starting Sept. 3rd, Waste & Recycling Services trucks will return to normal waste collection in flood-affected neighbourhoods and will no longer provide special collection of flood-related garbage from front curbs.