Campers can once again enjoy the peace and quiet of the river valley in Hogg Park. For the first time since the 2013 flood, the lower level of Archie and Janet Hogg Park has reopened for the camping season – though it’s still not like it was before. “Hogg Park is not the Hogg Park of our childhoods,” said MD of Foothills agriculture services manager Jeff Porter. “It’s a revised or revamped Hogg Park in what we’re allowed from Alberta Environment’s constraints.” Six years ago, the campground consisted of its upper level, which reopened in 2015 after some cleanup and finalization of Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) claims. There was a middle level with camping, and a lower level next to the river, he said. The riverside level of Hogg Park, which sits on the banks of the Highwood River about 12 kilometres east of Longview, was completely wiped out by the flood, he said. Now, what was once the middle level of the campground is considered the lower level. It took a lot of work to get the park back into operation, he said. “We’ve got a lot of issues down there and we’re really limited by Alberta Environment on what we can and cannot do there, so that’s why it’s taken so long to establish,” said Porter. To begin with, all the topsoil on the lower level of the campground was washed away with the river, he said, and the topsoil that was brought in by the contractor was left too thin and was full of silt and clay, so it didn’t allow grass to take root. “We had to go in and bring more topsoil and spread it and reseed, and then wait for the grass to establish and get a good enough root system to be able to take the traffic the campground takes,” said Porter. In addition, the caretaker’s house, which had been located on a lower level, was washed away and had to be rebuilt on the upper bench of the park, he said. A cistern and holding tank were also installed. There were a number of campsites lost in the reclamation process, he said. The basic layout of the lower level was revamped to accommodate changes. “We had to work with Alberta Environment on where we were allowed to have camping and day use and that sort of thing, and what could or couldn’t be done for removal of the flood debris and reestablishment of outhouses,” said Porter. “There were certain restrictions around what could and couldn’t be done down there with those and which structures were allowed.” He said the park is a popular weekend spot for locals, particularly on long weekends, and the MD is pleased to see it reopened for campers.
