Ontario Conservation Authorities Developing Floodplain Maps

This has been a season for floods, which bring misery to affected property owners and financial pressure to insurance companies.

While we feel for the homeowners, insurance providers are feeling the pain, too, which ultimately we will share.  Payouts in Canada for catastrophic events where flooding is a major source of loss have risen exponentially, with the average annual payout in Canada over the last ten years reaching $1.8 billion.  As a result, these companies have been pushing for better information on which to base flood coverage policy terms.  This may have contributed to the launch of a new, $2 billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund launched in May which will help fund the preparation of tools to better understand flood risk, including floodplain maps.

Whatever the driver behind the new funding, Otonabee Regional Conservation Authority’s (ORCA) Chief Administrative Officer Dan Marinigh explains that developing floodplain maps is part of the job of provincial conservation authorities, which have a legal mandate to protect wetlands.  Normally located adjacent to rivers, lakes and streams, wetlands provide important fish and wildlife habitat and act as water storage facilities, holding water back during periods of high water and releasing water during periods of drought.

During a flood, water levels rise, and areas not normally covered by water can become inundated very quickly. This could be caused by land elevation, jams of ice and debris or built development features such as pavement and houses. Floodplain maps use data and technical models to predict the path of floodwaters – the area known as the floodplain, identifying the location of potential flooding hazards.

Floodplain mapping is a tool to protect and respect the floodplain. Of course prevention is the best tool to protect against flood loss.  Accurate floodplain maps will ensure development does not occur near flood and erosion-prone areas through the preparation of official plans and zoning by-laws as well as conservation approval requirements for specific locations near wetlands.  They help protect property and human life by guiding land use decisions to avoid flood risk.

Not everyone is cheering about these maps.  For some property owners, the map will reveal just how vulnerable their land is to flood, which could significantly reduce its market value.  They may also indicate which properties require protective measure to limit the risk of flood damage.

When the rains come, water courses reach higher and wider, because it is their job to convey water.  Floodplain maps are designed to predict how far and how wide the water will reach under a variety of circumstances.   Knowing the extent of the floodplain is critical to reducing potential property damage and risks to public safety, environmental protection and emergency management, and effective floodplain management is a key goal of all conservation authorities, including ORCA.

The local organization is completing eight floodplain mapping projects over the next two years including one for Baxter Creek.  All projects have received 50% funding from the federal disaster mitigation program.

Ultimately the maps will enable residents and communities to better prepare for and take action during flooding events. The new floodplain maps will provide property owners in these areas with information about potential flooding on their property and help ORCA and their partner municipalities to direct future development outside of the floodplain to avoid property damage, personal injury and stress.  Expect to see the Baxter Creek report issued in the next twelve months.  KG

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