The City of Humboldt’s Public Works Department is hosting a public open house on Thursday March 2 to consult on the proposed Carl Schenn Dry Pond Project. The open house will take place at the Uniplex lobby from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. 

The project is designed to help mitigate flood water damage that has occasionally occurred in the city’s northwest end during major rain events. 

In 2021, Humboldt City Council approved consultant ISL Engineering to undertake a City-Wide Heavy Rainfall Stormwater Modelling Assessment. The resulting report incorporated LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data to present and assess possible and practical solutions to collect and disperse water in serious rain events. 

The first recommendation to be explored in the dry pond slated for Carl Schenn Park. In heavy rain events, current storm sewer mains become overwhelmed leading to surface flooding. In the past water has invaded basements and caused damage. The retention pond would allow for water to be channelled to it where it would be temporarily stored and later emptied. With the pond in place, residences in the Barnes Crescent, Dust Crescent and 12 Avenue areas should see improvement.

One such detention pond was installed at the corner of Highway 5 and 17th St. near Humboldt Collegiate. The project is similar to a flood zone project completed at W.W. Ashley Park in Saskatoon. A devastating rainfall event in 2017 caused minimal damage thanks to that pond project.

While there will be some structural changes to the park, playground equipment and park amenities will remain, say’s Peter Bergquist, director of public works. 

“The actual playground structures themselves won’t be touched. What we’re looking at doing is installing pipe and recessing the very north end of the field about two to two and a half meters. That will act as storm water storage. Those are typically called dry ponds.”

The open house will allow Humboldt residents to drop by the Uniplex for more information, says Bergquist.

“There will be city staff there as well as our consultant, ISL Engineering, and we will be answering any types of questions or taking input if we have to modify the design. We look forward to it.”