NEW GUIDELINES HELP MAP B.C. COASTAL FLOODPLAINS

New guidelines have been released today to help B.C.'s coastal communities update floodplain area maps and adapt to rising sea levels.

The report, Coastal Floodplain Mapping Guidelines and Specifications, recommends standards for topographic mapping and identifies engineering requirements for establishing building elevations in coastal areas. It also includes a sample floodplain map showing potential floodplain areas to the year 2100, along with an engineering design brief.

This information will help urban planners and local government officials incorporate rising sea levels into flood-hazard area land-development decisions, such as official community plans, zoning, subdivisions and building permits. The work has been made possible by a $60,000 contribution from the Province and Natural Resources Canada's Regional Adaptation Collaborative Program, which facilitates climate change adaptation planning and decision-making at the regional level.

The new guidelines complement a report released last May on how rising sea levels will affect coastal B.C. over the next century, titled Climate Change Adaption Guidelines for Sea Dikes and Coastal Flood Hazard Land Use.

To view the reports, visit:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/flood/structural.html

For more information on Natural Resources Canada's Regional Adaptation
Collaborative Program, visit: http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/collab/index_e.php



The purpose of coastal floodplain maps is to identify the coastal flood hazard(s) and to provide the technical basis for land use planning and developing floodplain bylaws. Floodplain mapping is an important first step in developing a flood hazard management plan, as floodplain maps identify the flood hazard(s) and provide information on the spatial distribution of Flood Construction Levels (FCLs).
This report provides a methodology to develop floodplain maps for coastal communities for coastal flood hazards, including sea level rise. The report also includes a sample coastal floodplain map prepared for the City of Campbell River, as well as an associated design brief.
Also, as a part of this project, a web-based coastal flood hazard screening tool has been developed for coastal areas in BC.

Coastal Flood Hazard Areas in British Columbia

The website displays potential year 2100 floodplain areas based on approximate Flood Construction Levels (incorporating sea level rise). Note that floodplain areas have not been ground proofed, verified, or studied to confirm their exact location.