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The Elbow River flows through southwest Calgary and is susceptible to flooding with catastrophic results. During the flooding event of June 2013, peak flow rates of the Elbow River reached approximately 1240 m3/s while the natural capacity of the river is less than 200 m3/s, and the losses experienced during the flood were valued in excess of $5B. The Springbank Off-stream Storage Project was conceived to divert and store the flows of the Elbow River during floods. Some of the main structural components of the project include a diversion and spillway structure that intersects the Elbow River, a diversion channel and an off-stream storage reservoir. A large scale (1:16) physical model study was subsequently commissioned to assist in assessing and improving the initial design for the diversion and spillway structures to ensure good performance under a range of flood conditions. The main objectives for the physical model study were to: determine the hydraulic performance of various key elements of the new structures for a range of operational and extreme flow conditions; assess the behaviour of sediments and woody debris within and around the structures; and help refine the proposed designs to improve conveyance, reduce the risk of erosion and sedimentation, reduce the risk of blockage by debris, improve constructability, and reduce costs where possible. This paper provides a full description of the physical model with a focus on the tests in which the impacts of woody debris were studied and assessed., Canadian Dam Association Annual Conference, CDA 2017, October 2017, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada