This consultation was open from:
July 4, 2023
to September 5, 2023
Decision summary
We are posting finalized data survey and mapping technical guidance to support flood hazard identification and mapping by municipalities and conservation authorities in Ontario.
Decision details
Actions in Protecting People and Property: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy commit the province to updating existing technical guidance used to support implementation of the natural hazard policies outlined within the proposed Provincial Planning Statement 2023.
As a first step in fulfilling this commitment, the Ministry has finalized the new Technical Bulletin - Flooding hazards: data survey and mapping specifications to replace Chapter J of the existing “River Stream Systems: Flooding Hazard Limit” technical guidelines.
The Technical Bulletin is intended to be applied when delineating the flooding hazard through mapping new, or updating existing, maps. It is intended to assist technical personnel experienced in mapping and geomatics in undertaking flood hazard surveying and mapping in Ontario, and if accepted, will become the definitive source of flood hazard data, survey and mapping guidance for use in Ontario.
Updating provincial guidelines for flood mapping will increase clarity and consistency in the development of flood mapping. A consistent approach to the development of flood mapping will help municipalities and conservation authorities direct new development away from high-risk areas and identify areas where floodproofing or other mitigation measures may be required to manage risks to existing development.
Effects of consultation
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry received a total of 16 responses during the proposal period, with many providing specific comments on one or more aspects of the proposed Technical Bulletin content.
Feedback received was for the most part supportive of the criteria and guidance provided in the Technical Bulletin. Many commented that the document provides clarity for practitioners with regards to the necessary data considerations and mapping specifications to support flood hazard in Ontario. There was broad support for the Technical Bulletin providing flood hazard mapping recommendations, but not being a set of mandatory instructions to be applied in all circumstances.
Edits to the final document ranged from basic editing to more substantive changes based on the feedback received. Most editing suggestions, including changes to map text and labels, alterations to existing tables and figures, as well as adding additional definitions to the glossary and to the list of acronyms have been incorporated. Expanded guidance and clarification was provided for using surveyed and remotely sensed channel bathymetry and floodplain surface topography, to support the use of different types of models.
Clarification and guidance related to vertical and horizontal datum transformations to the CGVD2013 datum (see Section 3.0 of Technical Bulletin), and associated limitations on the conversion process were sought. The Province is working towards updating the Government of Ontario Information and Technology Standards (GO-ITS) to support height modernization, including the development of guidelines for horizontal and vertical datum transformations. MNRF endeavours to update this Technical Bulletin in the future to align with and reference pending GO-ITS standards.
Additional comments requesting further guidance on web mapping content, how to document revisions to maps stamped by accredited surveyors and engineers, requests for additional example map figures, minimum drainage area thresholds for mapping, and requests to include references to other MNRF technical bulletins, have not been addressed at this time. Many of these comments will be revisited in future revisions of this Technical Bulletin as future associated Technical Bulletins (e.g., hydrology and hydraulics methods) are released and new content can be added. The Ministry intends to keep this and other future natural hazard technical bulletins in an ‘evergreen’ state and update as new science and methods emerge.
As committed to in Ontario’s Flooding Strategy, MNRF is in the process of updating other natural hazard technical guidance and anticipates additional documents to be released for public comment over the coming months and years.
All comments received were considered in the finalization of the changes to the document.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
300 Water Street, 6th Floor, South tower
Peterborough,
ON
K9J 8M5
Canada
Connect with us
Contact
Public Input Coordinator
300 Water Street, 2nd Floor, South Tower
Peterborough,
ON
k9J 8M5
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
Actions in Protecting People and Property: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy commit the province to updating existing technical guidance used to support implementation of the natural hazard policies outlined within the proposed Provincial Planning Statement, 2023. Existing technical guidance provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) was created between 1996 and 2002 and does not reflect updates in science, technology, and the use of mitigative measures since that time. The MNRF is taking a multi-staged approach to updating its guidance.
The purpose of this positing is to seek feedback on the draft Technical bulletin - Flooding hazards: data survey and mapping specifications.
A critical step in protecting people and property from flooding starts with identifying where flooding is expected to occur. This is most often achieved through flood mapping - the delineation of flood extents and elevations on a base map.
Municipalities and conservation authorities have been actively investing in floodplain mapping dating back to the federal Flood Damage Reduction Program in the 1980's. Many of these maps are still used today to make land use planning decisions.
Current technical guides and associated standards for flood mapping developed by the MNRF were last updated in 2002, and mapping standards are nonexistent within the technical guides. Recent influxes in federal funds for updated mapping under the National Disaster Mitigation Program and most recently the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program, has highlighted the need for updated provincial guidance.
Updating provincial standards for flood mapping will increase clarity and consistency in the development of flood mapping. A consistent approach to the development of flood mapping will help municipalities and conservation authorities direct new development away from high-risk areas and identify areas where floodproofing or other mitigation measures may be required to manage risks to existing development.
Proposed Data Survey and Mapping Standards have been developed by the province with input and feedback from a multi-partner flood mapping technical team, consisting of staff from provincial and federal government agencies, municipalities, and conservation authorities. This bulletin would replace Appendix J of the existing “River & Stream Systems: Flooding Hazard Limit” technical guidelines.
The bulletin is to be applied when delineating the flooding hazard through mapping new, or updating existing, maps. It is intended to assist technical personnel experienced in mapping and geomatics in undertaking flood hazard surveying and mapping in Ontario, and if accepted, will become the definitive source of flood hazard data, survey and mapping guidance for use in Ontario.
Regulatory impact analysis
The Ministry does not anticipate any direct environmental or social consequences or costs with the technical bulletin proposal and expect to receive positive feedback.
The proposal, which provide updated technical guidance for identifying and mapping flooding hazards, is not expected to increase the costs of work for municipalities. The updates within are meant to be in line with existing best practices, which are currently being used by many practitioners.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
300 Water Street, 6th Floor, South tower
Peterborough,
ON
K9J 3C7
Canada
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from July 4, 2023
to September 5, 2023
Connect with us
Contact
Public Input Coordinator
300 Water Street, 6th Floor, South tower
Peterborough,
ON
K9J 3C7
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
13By email
0By mail
0