RVCA Open House: Draft Flood Mapping For the Tay River
 
RIDEAU VALLEY, November 23, 2012 — New, draft flood plain mapping is now available for the Tay River from Glen Tay Road to Lower Rideau Lake. This includes mapping within the Town of Perth and Port Elmsley. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has completed the draft maps that show the areas along the river that are subject to flooding and where new development will need to consider the identified flood hazard in land use planning decisions.

Everyone is welcome to view and provide comments at an open house on Tuesday, December 11 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Perth and District Union Library.

RVCA engineers created the new maps using recent data and advanced, industry-standard engineering methods. The RVCA wants to check the calculations by making use of every bit of information we can obtain about the historical observations along the Tay River. Residents and landowners along the river may have anecdotal or documented information such as photographs or journal entries of their observation during past high water events. This kind of information can be very useful for evaluating the “reasonableness” of the flood lines shown on the maps and the study team is interested in reviewing any past flood evidence that people may wish to share.
 
These maps, like their counterparts on river systems across Ontario, are the corner stone for keeping people and property safe. Controlling development on a watershed basis has long been recognized as the most cost-effective and environmentally-acceptable way to consistently manage the risk associated with floods and other natural hazards area. Once approved by the RVCA Board of Directors, RVCA staff will use the maps for defining areas that are subject to flood hazards along the waterway. The new mapping will also be used by local municipalities when updating their Official Plans and Zoning Schedules and in the review of other related Planning Act applications.
 
Maps showing the updated flood risk areas will be on display. When finalized, these flood risk maps will be used by planners to determine where development should and should not be located. These maps, like their counterparts on river systems across Ontario, are the corner stone for keeping people and property safe during high water events. The maps will also show the regulation lines which are based on flood risk, presence of wetlands, and steep slope considerations.
 
The last floodplain mapping in this area was completed in 1981 and covered the river from Glen Tay Road to the Tay Marsh. Now 30 years old, the maps need updating. No flood plain mapping has ever been done for the river downstream of the Tay Marsh. The current project will replace the old mapping and produce new mapping downstream of the Marsh. The RVCA finished mapping upstream of Glen Tay Road to the Christie Lake outlet in 2009.
 
Please join us:
Tay River Flood Mapping Open House
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Perth Union Library
30 Herriott Street, Perth
 
 
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For more information, contact:
 
Stephanie Schreiner
Engineering Assistant
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1104
[email protected]