Treeless berm cause for concern

On Oct. 30, I attended an information session on flood mitigation. A proposal is on the table for a berm to be built along the banks of the Bow River in Bowness. I was shocked and dismayed to learn 1,000 mature trees will be removed to facilitate construction. Isn’t the riverbank held together by the extensive root system of these mature trees? I’m concerned that the removal of the trees will cause substantial erosion and irreparable damage to the river bank habitat.

It seems to me removing natural protection to build an artificial wall is counterintuitive. If the berm is necessary, there must be a way to build it without this habitat carnage. Betty Jacobs, Calgary