McKay Creek culvert replacement and habitat restoration project

The McKay Creek culvert replacement and habitat restoration project in the Village of St. Louis was designed to allow for proper fish passage from the South Saskatchewan River.

CIMA+ undertook the hydraulic analysis of the existing concrete arch culvert crossing, which allowed for identifying several different options. The various options were evaluated considering their effectiveness in promoting natural connectivity and fish habitat, the level of construction required, roadway embankment improvements and the overall benefits to the surrounding community.

We replaced the existing culvert with a clear span open bottom arch. The existing creek channel, strategic placement of boulders and rock clusters upstream, through and downstream improved fish habitat and provided resting areas for fish swimming upstream.

 

Key challenges

Seasonal high flows and a non-standard existing culvert shape, paired with multiple upstream new and potential construction activities made the hydraulic analysis more challenging than a standard design would.

The proposed solutions had to be innovative to meet the desired fish flow of 8 m³/s. In addition to the recommended clear span structure, one other alternative included preserving the existing concrete structure, installing baffles within the structure and riprap pools downstream of the crossing.

 

Innovative solutions

The crossing splits the village in two parts, with a detour of at least 10 km. This required innovative traffic management solutions with specific proposed construction sequencing to maintain one lane of traffic and emergency vehicle access throughout the village during construction.

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