Floodplains are low lying areas near a watercourse that are subjected to flooding and unstable slopes due to erosion. In eastern Ontario, the 1:100-year floodplain is the regulatory standard used to identify lands that are vulnerable to flooding. Conservation Authorities in Ontario, including MVCA, are responsible for floodplain management, achieved primarily through the requisition of accurately engineered floodplain mapping data and documentation.

The Carp River is a major watershed within the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority’s jurisdiction and has been identified as one of MVCA’s highest flood risk areas in the recently completed Flood Risk Assessment Study (2022). Considerable flooding has occurred along the Carp River in 1998, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2017, and 2019. Due to significant land use changes and developments, particularly in the upper watershed in Kanata, the current floodplain maps, developed in 1983, require updating.

MVCA is currently developing regulatory floodplain mapping update for the Carp River that will help us and our municipal partners understand flood hazards and implement effective mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of flooding in the Carp River watershed. The mapping will also inform MVCA’s flood forecasting and warning and emergency management programs.

Floodplain mapping involves many components, including data collection, hydrological and hydraulic analyses, public consultations, and floodplain and regulatory limit mapping. As of March 2024, data collection, hydrological and hydraulic analyses, the third-party technical review, and mapping have been completed.

A Public Open House is scheduled for May 2^nd 2024 from 4 – 8 pm at the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Centre, 1002 Beaverbrook Rd, Ottawa. At the Public Open House, community members and stakeholders will be able to review the draft regulatory floodplain maps and talk 1:1 with CA staff regarding any specific or general questions they may have regarding the updated floodplain, the mapping process, and how it will affect them.

Links on the righthand side of this page provide additional information on the Carp River Floodplain Mapping Update project including draft regulatory maps, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Details of the Public Open House can also be found through the links on this page, through our social media sites, and advertised in local news outlets.

Comments will be accepted until May 7^th at 4 pm. The project will undergo review and approval by MVCA’s Board of Directors during the May 13^th Board of Directors meeting.

The project is being carried out with support from our partners at the City of Ottawa.