Carp River Floodplain Development

For at least two years Ottawa Riverkeeper has been working with a coalition of local groups to warn the City of Ottawa against building in the floodplain of the Carp River. Recently, a major error was discovered in the engineering studies being used to back the decision to build hundreds of homes in the floodplain. As a result, the City of Ottawa has temporarily put the Kanata West development project on hold while it investigates how this flawed proposal got approved by so many regulating authorities.

If the project is “on hold” why are there currently dozens of dump trucks filling the land adjacent to the Carp River? The Conservation Authority issued a permit to place fill last year and that seems to be good enough for the City of Ottawa, regardless of the status of the project. What ever happened to the precautionary principal?

Now is the time to ask questions and raise concerns. Take the time to write or phone your city councillor and ask them why our City and our Conservation Authorities are allowing development in the floodplain. Provincial policy statements clearly warn against developing in the floodplain — the very land that has the ability to protect us from flooding.

There is clear hydraulic and ecological evidence that the Carp River needs help. Ottawa Riverkeeper supports the plan to restore the river; however, we strongly believe that the floodplain must be left intact.