The RDKB has a Floodplain Management Bylaw in effect (Bylaw No. 1844). It regulates areas with potential for flooding, as well as potential hazards from debris/deposits carried from streams (alluvial fans).
The purpose of a floodplain bylaw is to minimize public and private losses due to known hazard areas. It protects from loss of life, as well as property, by keeping buildings and structures away from areas prone to water and/or soil/debris inundation during a flooding event.
This bylaw applies to all Electoral Areas within the RDKB.
While the floodplain bylaw (and our Interactive Webmap) includes mapped floodplains and other mapped hazards, the bylaw applies to all watercourses, lakes, wetlands and ponds (even if they aren’t mapped), with very limited exceptions.
The bylaw requires all buildings and structures to be outside of the following areas (there are no exceptions without an approved exemption):
- Setbacks from the natural boundary of a watercourse, lake, wetland or pond
- High Fluvial Hazard Extent
- Floodway
In addition, the bylaw requires minimum flood construction levels for lands within the 200-year floodplain, with few exceptions (see Q&A below). It also outlines when a professional report for lands on alluvial fans is required (see Q&A below).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The following background information is available here:
- Background reports from Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd. (NHC)
- Floodplain bylaw, including PDF versions of each map
- Engineer’s reports for site-specific floodplain exemption applications
- Engineer’s reports for alluvial fan hazards
- Hazard notices
- Application forms and guides