RDN Launches Flood Hazard Study of the Englishman River

RE: RDN News Release July 13, 2020

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is launching a new flood hazard study of the Englishman River. The study and resulting maps will replace the existing floodplain maps produced by the provincial government in 1985 to provide better information to support land use and emergency planning in reducing the risks of flooding. Developed for the RDN’s Sea Level Rise and Climate Adaptation Program, when complete the maps will be used by engineers and the development industry to plan construction projects near the Englishman River and estuary and will inform updates to the RDN’s land use bylaws.

Using the latest approaches in science and engineering, along with applicable climate change data, the flood hazard maps will provide a visualization of predicted water levels and location to help communities adapt to our changing environment. The results of the recently completed coastal flood hazard study will be incorporated to determine the flood extent under combined influences.

“The RDN recognizes the importance of gather the required information and making it available to communities to help them proactively plan for and increase our resiliency to flooding. Updating the Englishman River flood hazard maps is an essential step that will help to inform better decision making, now and into the future, said RDN Chair Ian Thorpe”.

Under the RDN’s Sea Level Rise and Climate Adaptation Program, the Englishman River Flood Hazard Mapping project is partly funded through a grant from the Province of BC’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. The RDN is currently inviting proposals from engineering professionals through the Request For Proposals process until July 23, 2020. It is anticipates that the project will be completed in the Summer of 2021.