Legal Perspectives on Channel Migration of Wandering Gravel-Bed Rivers in Southern Alberta

Property boundaries in Alberta that are defined by rivers are subject to the doctrine of accretion. A review of the history and development of this doctrine reveals that it accommodates all types of river channel change, including episodic movement, and that it is the overall progress of the change rather than the moment to moment process that should be considered when addressing whether an event is accretionary or avulsive. A behavioural model developed here for wandering gravel-bed rivers in southern Alberta indicates that change to these rivers is largely episodic and is mainly due to non-overbank peak seasonal flows rather than floods, but that rapid change can occur in response to certain events. Application of the behavioural model and the interpretation of the doctrine of accretion developed here to the 2000 Robertson v Wallace court case supports the judge’s rulings in all three disputed reaches.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geoscience

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Campbell, Eowyn

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Osborn, Gerald

• Law
• Geology
• Physical Geography

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26747

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/681