Haliburton, Ont., flood plain mapping nears completion
December 1, 2022
By James Matthews, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Planning department staff for the County of Haliburton, Ont., submitted an application in September for funding through the flood hazard identification and mapping program administered by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Funding is being sought to cover the modelling and surveying work plan efforts of the two conservation authorities for 2023. Staff will update council early in the new year on the project’s progress and work plan for next summer.
The county’s flood plain mapping project has been on-going since a 2017 flood. It received funding in 2019 and again in 2021.
Planning director Steve Stone said the assembling of data will actually prepare a new flood risk assessment model for two watersheds: the Gull River and the Burnt River.
“That’ll lead to more information as it relates to the hazards along those river systems,” he said. “It’ll generate actual visual mapping that county council can consider when they look at policy development.”
Residents can also look at their own property to determine how much of risk they have and possibly make adjustments.
“If you’re one side of the line, you may want to move some structures out of that hazard, or you may want to fortify those structures,” he said.
The new funding will enable the project to move forward to final stages. That will be to create and make the model work.
“If those go successfully, the project will actually be concluded with the final presentation to county council of that model and the maps,” Stone said.
The mapping could be incorporated into the county’s official plan. And lower tier municipalities can use the information for zoning bylaws.
Councillor Bob Carter asked if any of the flood plain maps are available now.
“We were hoping to present to the previous county council on where we’ve gotten to with regards to our mapping,” he said.
Such a presentation can be done early in the new year, he said.
James Matthews is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Haliburton County Echo.
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