Innovation Spring 2026

MILL CREEK FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT F OILING FLOOD S The City of Kelowna needed a long-term, environmental-friendly solution to end the flooding affecting surrounding properties along Mill Creek, which runs through the centre of the city. The successful result was one of Kelowna's most complex infrastructure projects.

By Brian MacIver

K elowna’s Mill Creek flood protection project was one of the city’s most complex major endeavors, tackling aging infrastructure to meet future climate and safety challenges. High water levels were overwhelming the creek’s existing flood-control structures, putting more than 1,600 structures at risk of flood damage. The solution improved public safety, protected ecosystems, and mitigated potential damage. The original flood-control structure, built in 1989, would overflow as springtime water levels rose beyond the diversion’s capacity; the creek’s 200-year flows had doubled from 12 m³/s to 24.3 m³/s. In 2019, the federal government awarded the city a $22M grant via the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) to address the issue. CIMA+ was the prime consultant on the project, and Senior Project Manager Dr. Ali Malekian, P.Eng., was one of the leads who collaborated with city officials, diversion structure operators, indigenous consultants, biologists, and environmental consultants.

The project “was about controlling the water and slowing it down, and reducing the risk of overtopping into the properties and surroundings,” Malekian said. The new installation won the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards’ top prize in the Water Resources category, a national honour recognizing engineering excellence. It also earned a top award in the small-to medium-sized projects category at the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Project In addition to climate change increasing the amount of water the diversion needed to move, flooding was compounded by an equally serious issue: debris. High flows carried large logs and vegetation downstream, clogging the old trash rack and effectively turning the diversion into a dam. This forced city crews to intervene manually, often during dangerous conditions such as during flood events or in the early morning hours. Awards in Cape Town, South Africa. Creating a safer diversion

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