Deighen Blakely

Deighen Blakely is a seasoned Senior Water Resources Engineer and Project Manager with 25 years of experience in water resources engineering.  She holds a Master’s degree in Open Channel Hydraulics and specializes in flood mitigation, river engineering, dam safety, erosion and sediment control, and climate change adaptation.  Deighen has worked for a range of organizations, including The Province of Alberta, The City of Calgary, The Town of Drumheller and the State of Minnesota, as well as various engineering consulting firms, offering a unique perspective from both the owner’s and consultant’s side of projects.

As well as being the Sector Leader for KWL’s Alberta Water Resources sector, leading a team of 20 water resources professionals, Deighen currently serves as the Program Director for the $80M multi-year Flood Mitigation Program in Drumheller, leading the development of flood berms and driving initiatives focused on flood risk awareness and mitigation strategies.  Her efforts have directly contributed to the successful implementation of flood berms and hazard mapping across the Town.  She has worked closely with provincial counterparts to integrate flood inundation and hazard mapping into land-use policies, structural mitigation projects, and emergency response planning.

During her tenure with The City of Calgary, Deighen led the River Engineering Team to achieve the city’s key flood mitigation goals, including enhancing flood emergency response systems and designing structural mitigation projects.  She also played a critical role in dam safety, contributing to the Glenmore Dam Upgrades Project and advising on the Springbank Off-Stream Storage Reservoir and Dam project.  Her dam safety work includes the design and rehabilitation of dams, regulatory applications, dam breach inundation mapping, and overseeing emergency preparedness for high-consequence dams.

Throughout her career, Deighen has managed projects ranging from small, short-term studies to large, multi-year initiatives.  She has been actively involved in the professional organizations, including the Erosion and Sediment Control Association – Alberta group, where she held roles including treasurer and auditor, and has delivered training sessions on erosion and sediment control; the Canadian Dam Association where Deighen has participated in several conference organizing committees and the Canadian Water Resources Association as a regular conference participant and presenter.

Deighen’s experience includes overseeing operations and maintenance for multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects, managing small and large project teams, and facilitating public consultations to support community and stakeholder engagement.

Education:

• M. Sc. in Civil Engineering. 2001, University of Saskatchewan
• B. Sc. in Civil Engineering 1999, University of Saskatchewan

Registrations:

• Professional Engineer, Alberta (APEGA) and British Columbia (EGBC)
• CPESC (Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control), EnviroCert Inc.
• CESSWI (Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector), EnviroCert Inc.
• P.E., Washington State Department of Licensing

Publications and Presentations:

• Drumheller Flood Mitigation Program: Floodplain Mapping in Drumheller – A Case Study on Mapping Uses. February 2025. Invited presentation at the Western Flood Mapping Conference, Calgary, AB.
• Drumheller Flood Mitigation Program: Engineering is Easy. Gaining Public Trust is the Challenge. June 2024. Presentation at Canadian Water Resources Association National Conference in Saskatoon, SK.
• Overview of the Drumheller Flood Mitigation Program. April 2023. Presentation at the Canadian Water Resources Association Alberta Branch Conference in Calgary, AB.
• Potential Reduction of Social Impacts During the June 2013 Alberta Floods as a Result of Drawdown of the Calgary Glenmore Reservoir. October 2014. Co-author on technical paper for Canadian Dam Association Annual Conference in Banff, AB.
• A Practical Approach to Erosion and Sediment Control Design. March 2011. Full day course at City of Calgary and ALIDP 11th Annual Stormwater Management Courses.
• Travers Reservoir Rehabilitation Project. 2010. Invited paper at AARD Irrigation Technical Conference.
• Alberta Environment’s Weir Safety Program. February 2009. Invited paper at Canadian Dam Association Public Safety Around Dams Workshop. Ottawa, ON.
• Fort Hills Energy Corporation No Net Loss Lake Earthfill Structure. October 2007. Lead author and presenter for a technical paper and presentation at the Canadian Dam Association Annual Conference in St. John’s NL.