Anyone who remembers last summer's creek floods will understand why the City of Swift Current is paying nearly $194,000 to stay ahead of issues on the banks.

Creek bank rehabilitation is done in order to maintain spots the City has identified in surveys. They work to ensure all 14.5 kilometres of the Swift Current Creek are in stable condition to handle high water levels, as well as for general management and upkeep.

Depending on high rainwater volumes, release from the Duncairn Damn, or snowpack runoff, flooding and damages can debilitate the banks of the creek. In order to stay ahead of some existing areas of concern, the City is contracting Vitae Environmental Ltd. to rehabilitate three sections of the creek.

Greg Parsons, general manager of infrastructure for the City of Swift Current, reported that seven contractors applied for the rehabilitation contract. 

"Five of which were over budget and therefore not evaluated. Vitae Environmental Ltd. of Pinch Creek Alberta was the lowest submitted proposal at $193,572.32."

The three locations that will be addressed this year are Crawford Avenue, South Service Road East, and North Hill Drive. All of these segments are adjacent to the creek, and have strict regulations to be maintained during the work.

Vitae Environmental has previous experience with this kind of work, which is part of the reason why the City agreed to hire them. They will be doing the same labour at all three locations. The work will involve slope grading, installation of geosynthetic fabric, installation of riprap, and landscape restoration.

The total allocated budget for this project was $200,000. Vitae Environmental coming in just under this amount does reserve some of that money for the City to save in the budget.