Dam Safety Management Program for Pond 5A
Rocky View County, Alberta | Highfield Investment Group
The High Plains Industrial Park (HPIP) located in Balzac, Alberta, consists of more than 1,300 acres of industrial land and is home to various regional distribution centers. Pond 5A is a large, very high consequence dam, serving to manage the stormwater from the development. With construction newly completed in 2023, Journey Engineering (Journey) was engaged to produce a comprehensive Dam Safety Management Program meeting the requirements of the Alberta Dam and Canal Safety Directive (2018). This exciting project allowed us to work collaboratively with our client to develop the practical framework and key components of the Dam Safety Management Plan (DSMP); Operation, Maintenance, and Surveillance (OMS) Manual; Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP); and Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
Our Goal: To Develop a Practical, Effective, and
Compliant Dam Safety Management System
Journey leveraged significant expertise in the operation of dams, ponds, and other containment structures to create a practical dam safety management system that accounted for our client’s internal organization structure and optimized the use of existing resources. This practical and effective system includes templates for maintaining, assessing, and reporting on dam safety related issues to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Journey also facilitated training workshops to orient Operations staff to the dam safety management system, iteratively gathering feedback and incorporating it into the system to heighten usability. At Journey, we aim to create value for our clients by providing long-term solutions that work. Journey currently acts as Dam Safety Manager and Engineer-of-Record (EOR) on behalf of the client.