Flood water planning

Have a Plan and understand the risks

Across Canada during the spring the potential for flooding is higher in many areas. Floods develop or are caused by a variety of factors or potentially a combination of any of these, heavy rainfall, highly accelerated Springtime or unseasonal snow melting, High winds over water bodies or melting Ice, possible Breach or water release from peak capacity dams, Full retention ponds, Rivers at capacity prior to run off or structures that retains water. Flooding can be also being seasonally influenced because of previous year natural hazards such as wildfires, which reduce the supply of vegetation that can absorb rainfall.

Also known low lying areas, many of which can be found in the Prairie regions of Western Canada or low-lying mountain passes where water may gather, periodic flooding may occur in area rivers, forming a surrounding region known as the flood plain.

In cases of high rainy season or regular precipitation, some of the water can be captured retention ponds or captured by the soil, some water is absorbed by vegetation or simply evaporates, with the water that is not retained traveling across the land as surface runoff. Flooding is likely to occur when these above ponds, rivers, and vegetation cannot absorb all the water. This unabsorbed water can rapidly gather and run over land in quantities that exceed capacity of streams, channels or other retention areas both natural ponds, lakes, or man-made reservoirs. It is estimated that approximately 30%¹ of all precipitation will become runoff of some nature, also that during times of snow melting the amount of water will increase. Since a flood typically rises rapidly and may come with little or no warning, having a plan is essential to minimize damage.

Government of Canada and the various Provinces provide guides for the creation of such plans.

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/flds-wtd/index-en.aspx

NCS Fluid Handling Systems and its partnered suppliers may be able to provide pro active solutions and emergency response for temporary water retention systems, skilled technicians trained in various pumping system designs and activities. Visit us at www.ncsfluidsystems.ca and request further information on how the combination of resources may be able to help in a proactive manner.

• "Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008.