Located in Central Alberta, Lacombe County is a diverse municipality with a variety of
agricultural operations, industrial developments and small businesses, as well as a
vibrant petrochemical and oil and gas industry. Lacombe County is also home to three
of Central Alberta’s most popular recreational lakes, Sylvan Lake, Gull Lake, and Buffalo
Lake.
Located along the north shore of Sylvan Lake, the Blissful Beach subdivision includes 25
residential lots, which overlook Sylvan Lake. Topographically, Blissful Beach features a
steep southern facing slope which leads to the Sylvan Lake shoreline. Generally, the
slope face creates an approximate elevation difference of 35 feet between the shore of
the lake and the managed yards of the residential lots. Additionally, several of these
residential lots feature lake access structures that extend from homes and yards. These
structures traverse the slope, terminating at the lake’s edge.
On June 26, 2026, Lacombe County was notified of a slope failure occurring on Lot 24
within Blissful Beach. This slope failure has prompted Lacombe County to conduct a
geotechnical risk assessment of the eastern half of the Blissful Beach subdivision. In the
time since the June 2026 slope failure, Lacombe County has learned of additional historic
slope failures within the subdivision, however, limited information of these historic slope
failures exists.
Lacombe County requires the expertise of a Geotechnical Engineering Proponent to
assess the slope stability risk along the eastern half of the Blissful Beach subdivision.
Lacombe County intends to determine subsurface conditions within the area, estimate
the historical frequency of slope movement, assess the risk of future slope movement,
identify risk factors for existing properties, and receive recommendations for monitoring
and slope stabilization efforts.