Preliminary Report on the Urban Geology of the Annexed Areas in Edmonton

The recent rapid growth of urban centers in Alberta has imposed an increased demand on the natural resources surrounding these areas. In the development of responsible land planning decisions around the urban centers a thorough understanding of the geologic and geotechnical properties of the surface sediments is required.

This report provides a general geologic data base that will assist in making planning decisions for the recently annexed areas around Edmonton. The information has been collected from existing reports and maps along with an air photo interpretation. No site investigations were conducted to verify or supplement the information. From the data a series of maps were compiled that evaluate the areas with respect to their suitability for various land uses. These maps should serve only as guidelines for future surveys and investigations.

The areas of study in this report have been defined by the City of Edmonton Planning Department as those areas recently annexed to the City of Edmonton. Specifically, there are three geographic areas which, for the purposes of this report, are labeled A , B, and C.

Area A is located in the northeast part of Edmonton and includes about 23 square miles. It is bounded by the present City boundary to the south, by the Namao airport to the west, by Highway 37 to the north and by the North Saskatchewan River to the east.

Area B is a zone 2 miles wide, extending the length of the present southern boundary of the city. It covers an area slightly more than 27 square miles.

Area C covers a 1 mile wide strip on the western edge of the City, extending 5.5 miles south from Big Lake.