Ever since Hurricane Hazel wrought havoc in Southern Ontario in October 1954, the Province’s policies have been severely restrictive of development within flood plains, recognizing that doing so runs significant risks to public safety and property.

The Provincial Policy Statement, in both its 1997 and 2005 version, gives expression to this reservation: Only when specific conditions are met can a distinction be made between “flood fringe” and “floodway” — the so-called two-zone flood plain policy that allows development in the fringe.

As a consequence, most Conservation Authorities in Ontario allow development in a flood plain only under special circumstances, e.g., in recognition of historical development.

Strange then that, in Eastern Ontario, the practice seems to be different. On one hand, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is ambivalent about protecting Britannia Village — one of the oldest settlements in Ottawa that in part sits in the flood plain of the Ottawa River. On the other, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is, time after time, permitting filling the flood plain of the Carp River for development — thereby likely having contributed to several flooding incidents in the Kanata area over the last ten years or so.

The MVCA practice, in particular, appears to be so much out of line with the provincial policy intent that Ted Cooper, a water resource engineer with the City, in his private capacity, has requested an audit of the Authority. A large volume of documents supports his request. They can be accessed at a web site maintained by John Almstedt.

The City’s 2003 Official Plan, in section 4.8.1, has eleven policies governing flood plains. They are designated in an overlay as shown in Schedule K (3.84 MB) to the Plan. The policies essentially mimick the requirements of the Provincial Policy Statement.

Flood plain issues naturally relate closely to stormwater management. The City of Ottawa is developing a Stormwater Management Strategy — see the City’s web site on that topic here [no longer online]. For more information about stormwater management, see two other sections of John Almstedt’s web site:

* The importance of natural drainage systems [no longer online]

*  Problems associated with the destruction of natural drainage systems: the Orleans flood, July 2006

The concern about flood plains also relates to the view of rivers as “ribbons of life.” A primer on this approach is on the web site of the Canadian Council for Geographic Education [Archivist’s Note: no longer online, but try this, from the Canadian Wildlife Federation].

A database of watershed projects in the Ottawa area is accessible from a Conservation Ontario page.