Harvest Hills Pond Case Study

This case study analyzes Harvest Hills Pond in Calgary, AB. A typical stormwater pond has a 20-25 year maintenance cycle, which addresses sediment accumulation. Harvest Hills Pond is approximately 25 years old and, in 2010, it was characterized by localized sediment accumulation inside the pond, accompanied by near-plugging of the major inflow conduit. The stormwater pond is surrounded by residences and is an asset to the community.

In 2010, sediment was removed from the Harvest Hills Pond using a conventional winter sediment removal approach. Dewatering of the pond stretched over a period of one month, and was followed by a removal of wet sediment using earth-moving machinery. The cost analysis of the overall procedure done by the City of Calgary had shown that the cumulative cost was 5 million dollars.