ALIDP Monitoring Program

The ALIDP Monitoring Program began as a project under Alberta Environment and Parks' Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program. Up to three years of monitoring data have been collected at a variety of sites in Calgary, including the practices of:

  • bioretention (11 sites)
    • 10 roadside-style in various configurations at Lincoln Park
    • 1 area-style with heavy loadings - East of the Water Centre
  • rain gardens
    • 1 narrow residential between two driveways - 5/7 Evanston Close NW
    • 1 at the SAIT Green Building Technologies model home, has also a monitored garden bed with 300 mm topsoil
    • 1 at the terminus of a dry riverbed within a garden bed - 29th Avenue SW residential
    • 1 classic oval residential with Eagle Lake 40 mm blend, an 'after' scenario to the downspout to conventional turf 'before' scenario in the same location
  • downspout to conventional turf - 'before' scenario at the same location as the classic oval rain garden - 5654 Forand Street SW
  • prairie landscape vs. conventional turf - soil moisture side-by-side - same soil, different cover, conventional turf is irrigated.
  • garden bed with 300 mm topsoil - side-by-side with SAIT rain garden

Please read more about the monitoring program in the high-level summary.

A conference poster was prepared with early findings on the landscaping practices. We are so pleased to see monitoring results meet or exceed modelling predictions on rain garden retention, and to record the incredible absorptive performance of prairie-style naturalized landscaping.