The destruction at Dead Man's Flats

We as we continue to do small projects (clean up the mess, dry out the studs, disinfect the floors, re-light the water heater, etc), I had time today to get over to Dead Man's Flats to see the havoc wrought there. And on the way there.

A small creek east of Canmore covered the TCH in rubble

Truckloads to remove

Pigeon Creek flowing over the road 

Pigeon Creek flowing over the TCH

Pigeon Creek has been re-diverted to flow over the TransCanada because it plugged or blew up its own culverts under the TransCanada and the side roads.

The water lifted it... 

...AND the water then cut right though the road...

...and then cut a new path around this bridge.

Generally, our condo property was unscathed. No water got into any units. But... the creek cut a brand new, 8' deep, 15' wide channel. Right under the deck of one of our buildings, completely exposing the foundations and collapsing the decks.

Dangling decks 

Exposed foundations 

The view from the old creek bed 

A backhoe works in the background 

Trees knocked over into the collapsing decks

There's mud all over the place.

Units 31 & 32.

The reason I had to got to the condo was because the MD has already initiated work on putting the creek back where it belongs. Three backhoes were working in the creek bed attempting to put the creek back in the channel it used to occupy, and build a berm on either side.

Working away 

A short finished section of one side of the berm

While a noble effort, and one that will "work" during low flow, to me it's not a long term solution. This is an alluvial fan. The creek moves, and this storm proves that (not that proof is needed). The creek's 10's of meters from where it used to be. A man made bank will erode even if protected.

Our "protected" bank, and the rip rap that was washed away 

The rip raps out there somewhere 

Two chunks here. And some pallets

There were pallets everywhere, all of which came out of the Thunderstone Quarry up the creek about 2 km. As did a bunch of their rock.

I took a walk down past the playground...

A mud pit

...past the bridge that used to cross the creek but now crosses basically nothing, because the creek's miles away...

On the bright side, the bridge is still standing

...to the mud filled campground.

A campsite no one will be using soon 

Another 

Campsite #8 

This used to be a creek

On the way home, I stopped at an overlook where you can see most of Canmore. And some of the destruction caused by Cougar Creek.

The wrecked homes on the edge. Note the pedestrian bridge 

In the back the pedestrian bridge. In the front, the TCH bridge 

Yes, that's actually the Trans Canada Highway bridge

The highway is missing. Just missing. The bridge used to be 10's of feet above the creek, now it's 5' or less. The pedestrian bridge, remarkably still standing, shows where the creek's banks used to be.

Pallets in the trees

Man, I always knew that water was powerful, but wow, to see it in action is something else.