The Alberta Government is committing $10 million to municipalities to help better protect them from flooding.

They originally gave $10,000 to 18 different communities, and asked them to review and update their flood-readiness plans and submit projects for proposals.

12 were chosen to split the $10 million in funding, including Clearwater County who received $156,000, Mountain View County who received $50,000, and the City of Calgary, who received the largest amount at $1 million.

Minister of Municipal Affairs Shaye Anderson says floods in Calgary and High River back in 2013, as well as a large amount of overland flooding this spring, has made Alberta an expert in North America when it comes to flood prevention.

“What Emergency Management has learned, especially for us over the last 5 years, one ounce of protection is worth a pound in the future. For us putting money in beforehand to prevent and mitigate saves us millions and millions of dollars down the road. It protects peoples home, it protects peoples business and critical infrastructure.”

Anderson says since rivers and streams connect all through the province, upstream prevention measures are crucial to protecting the areas downstream, which could potentially affect thousands of people and millions of dollars' worth of infrastructure.

“One of the other things that we are doing right now across the province is 1300km of flood mapping across 30+ communities. It’s a massive undertaking to understand how the water flows in our province and what kind of effort we needs to put in for mitigation.”

Mountain View County, which includes Olds, will use their money to help protect their wells, which provides a percentage of rural residents with drinking water.

Clearwater County meanwhile, will use their $156,000 to better educate the public of flooding risks, purchase a sand bagging machine, water pumps, generators, and dam bags, adding them to the provincial stockpile.

The town of Sundre, Drumheller, Whitecourt, Banff and Okotoks also received funding, as well as the municipality of Crowsnest Pass, Rockyview County and the District of Foothills.