Sackville River Flooding 2014
Recently you may have heard on the news or social media about upcoming proposed changes to the Sackville Rivers Floodplain Zoning. On August 21, 2024 I attended one of the public engagement sessions to learn more about the proposed changes. The situation is complex with many benefits to the proposed changes and some serious considerations and negative unintended, but likely unavoidable consequences.
How We Got Here
In 2014, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) initiated a comprehensive effort to update the floodplain maps for the Sackville and Little Sackville Rivers. This was prompted by the need to better understand and manage flood risks in the area, given the outdated nature of previous floodplain studies conducted in the 1980s. The municipality contracted CBCL Limited to conduct this study, which employed advanced tools like LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and hydrologic models to create updated floodplain maps. These maps forecast flood events with a one-in-20-year and one-in-100-year return period, projecting the potential impacts up to the year 2100.
Public engagement began in 2018 with several meetings where residents raised concerns about the accuracy of the updated maps and the implications for their properties. In 2024, an update to the study was completed by Design Point Engineering & Surveying, taking into account new LIDAR data and changes in the watershed that had occurred since the original study.
What Are the Proposed Floodplain Zoning and Policies?
The HRM is proposing the establishment of two key floodplain zones:
- Floodway Zone: This is the central part of the floodplain where water flows most rapidly and deeply during a flood event. The floodway must be kept free of development to ensure that floodwaters can pass through without obstruction. Under the proposed policies, most new developments in this zone will be prohibited, with some exceptions for floodproofing existing non-residential buildings.
- Flood Fringe Overlay Zone: This zone lies outside the floodway but is still vulnerable to flooding. The flood fringe experiences shallower and slower-moving water during floods. Regulations in this zone will allow for certain developments, provided they meet strict floodproofing requirements. Uses involving hazardous materials will be restricted, and any new developments or alterations will require engineering assessments to ensure they do not contribute to increased flood risks.
These proposed zones will apply to areas identified as at risk in the updated floodplain maps for Bedford, Sackville, Sackville Drive, and Beaver Bank/Hammonds Plains/Upper Sackville.
Top Citizen Concerns
Throughout the public engagement process, several key concerns have emerged from residents and stakeholders:
- Accuracy of Floodplain Maps: Some residents question whether their properties have been accurately included in the updated floodplain zones. Property owners can request a review if they believe their property has been incorrectly zoned.
- Impact on Property Values and Insurance: There is concern that being located within a designated floodplain zone could negatively impact property values and lead to higher insurance premiums. While the municipality cannot directly address insurance policies, they are encouraging property owners to consult with their insurers and explore options for floodproofing their homes, which could mitigate some of the financial impacts.
- Loss of Development Rights: For those whose properties are now within the floodway or flood fringe zones, there are concerns about the loss of potential development opportunities. The proposed policies do allow for some flexibility, particularly for existing non-residential uses, which can be accommodated as legal conforming uses. Additionally, there are provisions for expanding existing structures, provided floodproofing measures are implemented and engineering assessments confirm no increased flood risk.
- Public Safety and Infrastructure Concerns: Residents expressed worries about the overall safety of living in flood-prone areas and the potential impact on local infrastructure. The proposed zoning changes are designed to address these concerns by preventing new developments that could exacerbate flooding and by focusing on floodproofing existing structures.
Questions Remaining
As the municipality moves forward with these proposals, several important questions remain, some of which were simply not within the scope of the current study or public engagement series and will be addressed as the project moves forward:
- How will disputes over floodplain map accuracy be resolved?
- What financial support or compensation options are available for affected property owners?
- What is the long-term plan for monitoring and updating floodplain maps? Given the evolving nature of environmental conditions, ongoing monitoring and updates will be crucial to ensure the maps remain accurate and relevant.
The proposed changes to the Sackville Rivers floodplain zoning represent a significant step in addressing flood risks in the region. And quite frankly, it’s something that should have been done years ago. The second best time to do it is now. While the proposals are grounded in updated scientific data and aim to protect both people and property, they also raise important concerns and questions among residents.
For more information and to stay updated on the process to updates visit the Sackville Rivers floodplain zoning dedicated webpage. There is also one more day of public engagement meetings scheduled for Wednesday August 28, 2024. A summary will be available online after these meetings are completed and I’ve asked HRM staff to make a full video presentation available online for those who couldn’t attend in-person.
Good Morning Anita. I’m just doing my due diligence before voting.
Regarding last year’s floods and lack of housing I’d like to make a couple of comments.
I live by the Bedford Lion’s Park and last year my back yard was a river from water coming down from the park and lifting and moving the ashphalt on the road and depositing it all on my fence. Since then whenever it rains we continue to be flooded. They never cleaned up properly as I live on a border between park and city responsibilities, so it seems no one takes charge of this area. This summer Shore Dr was repaved and at the same time the ditches on the side of the road have been filled with gravel. Now the water that flows from higher ground has nowhere to disperse. Frankly I can’t think of a more illogical course of action after what happened last summer. Needless to say I don’t have much faith in the city planning and we have placed sand bags and carved our own ditch to divert water away from us.
Last year a new development was built on Shore Dr. A building was supposed to be built but the developer asked that it be rezoned to allow 10 luxury semi’s instead. A public notice went up. I wrote to the planning department asking that they reject the rezoning as we live in an area with little diversity and felt we needed more spaces that young families, older or single people could also access. A building I felt, would provide this. The rezoning went through and now we have 10 semi’s with virtually no green space to absorb rainwater (there is a 1.5′ strip between each of the driveways), no trees to break up rainfall, and no drainage were the property meets the road.
All this to say that HRM needs to put their money where their mouth is. It’s great to have all these great plans, but when reactive rather than proactive practices roll out on a regular basis then we don’t move on from the status quo. It’s all just blah, blah, blah.
Good luck with the election. Cheers, Serena
Hi Serena, Thanks for the info. We defnitely need to get better at planning for water flow when things are built in an area that’s already built up. I hear your concerns.