A Calgary MLA is taking aim at TransAlta over potential flooding and says Bowness residents are concerned about high water levels in two dams that are upstream from the community.
Calgary Bow MLA Alana DeLong represents Calgarians who live in one of the hardest hit communities during last year's flood.
DeLong says her constituents are worried that what they experienced last spring will happen again and she says they have good reason.
She says dams along the Bow River are too high and is calling on TransAlta, the operator, to lower the water levels in the Ghost and Bearspaw dams.
“TransAlta has been making everyone pretty nervous because they have been holding their dams full,” said DeLong.
TransAlta says DeLong’s accusations are wrong and that the dam levels were temporarily high because some water was being held back to allow the city to perform restoration and remediation projects.
TransAlta says DeLong's assertions that it is improperly handling water levels at dams it operates are false.
“There's no basis in fact for it and it's really unfortunate that she's playing on people's fears and concerns at this time of year,” said Stacey Hatcher, TransAlta spokesperson.
TransAlta and the province are currently in negotiations to determine the best future plan for flood prevention but DeLong says those negotiations aren't going fast enough.
“By the 15th they should have been ready for flood season,” said DeLong.
The province says it isn't concerned about the dam levels and TransAlta says the water that was being held has since been released.
(With files from Lea Williams-Doherty)
