Flood Safety
1. Recent Flood and Dike Safety Projects.
2. General Information
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Flood Hazard Management in British Columbia: Who is Responsible?
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Under the authority of the Dike Maintenance Act, the Ministry of Environment regulates diking authorities and their operation and maintenance of dikes or flood protection structures through the Deputy Inspectors of Dikes Offices.
- Diking Authorities Policy for New Dikes, (
 193kb) References, Dike Maintenance Act Section 2 (4) (e). Ministry of Environment & Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
- There are approximately 300 registered flood protection structures in the province of British Columbia. Here are some definitions of diking structures, geographic features and types of floods.
- For information on these flood protection structures and for contact information, click here for the Provincial Database:
- The location of most of these works is provided by the UTM coordinates in the database and can be located on maps at the following links:
- Annual Inspection Forms:
The Inspector of Dikes requires that Diking Authorities complete annual dike inspections and submit inspection reports as a requirement of the Dike Maintenance Act.
3. Dike Maintenance Act Approvals
To maintain the safety and integrity of dikes and to prevent detrimental effects on other parties and river processes, Section 2(4) of the Dike Maintenance Act (DMA) provides that a person or a diking authority must not make changes to a dike, or to the area adjacent to a dike without the prior written approval of the Inspector of Dikes (or a Deputy Inspector) where these changes include:
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changes or alterations to the cross section or crest elevation of a dike; |
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installation of culverts, pipes, flood-boxes, utility lines, pump stations, or any structure through, on or over a dike; |
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construction of any works on or over a dike right of way, including structures, excavations and placement of fill or other materials; |
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alteration of the foreshore or stream channel where the works could increase flood levels or impact the integrity of a dike such as dredging, construction of erosion protection works, bridges and other in-stream works; and |
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construction of a new dike. |
When making an application for a DMA Approval an Application Form must be completed and submitted to the appropriate Deputy Inspectors of Dikes Offices and the local Diking Authority.
DMA Approval General Information and Application Form
4. As-Constructed Dike Drawings and Significant Reports and Studies
The following table: As Constructed Dike Drawings, Reports and Studies is organized by Diking Authority, providing links to as-constructed drawings along with selected reports and studies funded under the capital works programs including:
- Flood Hazard Protection Fund (ongoing since 2007)
- Provincial Flood Protection Assistance Program (1999-2005)
- The Fraser River Flood Control Program (1968-1995)
- Urgent Mitigative Flood Works (2007)
5. Flood Protection Publications and Reports
NB: In these documents, the former Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks is now the Ministry of Environment. Also, the former Flood Section of the Water Management Branch is now the Flood Hazard Management Section, Water Management.
These documents are not intended to fully identify the applicable requirements. Proposals will require detailed design and construction documentation acceptable to the Ministry of Environment.
- Guidelines for Management of Flood Protection Works in British Columbia
( 3.2MB) March 1999
This document consolidates and summarizes current practices respecting the management of flood protection works in British Columbia. The purpose is to help Diking Authorities and flood protection professionals fulfill dike safety requirements, as legislated under the Dike Maintenance Act.
- Flood Protection Works Inspection Guide
( 3.1MB) March 2000
This guide focuses on field identification of conditions that might jeopardize the safety of the dike. It also provides information on scheduling inspections, inspection methods and tips, record-keeping methods that assist with ongoing monitoring of changing conditions, and with maintenance scheduling and tracking
- Environmental Guidelines for Vegetation Management on Flood Protection Works to Protect Public Safety and the Environment
( 2.6MB) March 1999
These guidelines have been developed by the Flood Hazard Management Section of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment (MoE), in consultation with MoE’s Biodiversity Branch, and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The guidelines present minimum standards under the Dike Maintenance Act for managing vegetation on flood control structures to protect public safety, and identify opportunities to protect and/or enhance habitat to benefit the environment.
Typical vegetation management for a set-back dike
Click on image for larger view.
- Operation and Maintenance Manual for New Works Template
( 185kb) / (word - 125kb) August 2001
The purpose of this manual is to provide general instructions, methods, techniques and data pertinent to the inspection, operation and maintenance of new flood mitigation works on a watercourse. Operation and maintenance includes the repair and restoration of the flood mitigation works (and the removal of sediment build-up and debris from the channel) after flood events with magnitudes up to and including the magnitude of a design flood event.
- Dike Operation and Maintenance Manual Template
( 767kb) January 2001
The purpose of this document is to provide a template so that diking authorities for communities protected by flood protection works may easily create an Operation and Maintenance (O & M) manual for their flood protection system. Large flood protection facilities, with many dikes and sophisticated equipment, will require additional operation and maintenance procedures not covered by this template.
- Dike Design and Construction Guide: Best Management Practices for British Columbia ( 5.3MB) updated July 2011
This document has been developed to present basic principles used in the design and construction of dikes. The guidelines discuss sound engineering practices in typical situations and review the issues or problems that a design professional may typically need to resolve.
- Riprap Design and Construction Guide
( 10.1MB) March 2000
This guide discusses the design and construction of protective works to prevent erosion of river banks and dike slopes from stream flow.
- Fraser River Hydraulic Model Report of December, 2006 (Superseded by March 2008 report)
- 2006 Fraser River Profile Report ( 10.6MB)
- Tables ( 500kb)
- Figures ( 5.5MB)
- Drawings ( 1.5MB)
- Map ( 4.5MB)
This report is superseded by the March 2008 report below however it contains additional useful information that is not included in the 2008 report.
- Fraser River Hydraulic Model Update Report, March 2008
- Fraser River Profile Report (no maps) ( 2.7MB)
- Map 1: Gauge Locations (300 dpi) ( 12.5MB)
- Map 2: Hydraulic Model DS (150 dpi) ( 7.8MB)
- Map 3: Hydraulic Model Map US (150 dpi) ( 4.8MB)
- Map 4: WS Dike Map DS (300 dpi) ( 3.1MB)
- Map 5: WSD Dike Map US (300 dpi) ( 1.8MB)
In 2007, the Ministry of Environment engaged Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (nhc) to forecast water levels during the Spring freshet using the Fraser River Hydraulic Model developed in 2006. It became apparent during this work that the model needed updating and re-calibration (for reasons outside nhc's control). This report documents the findings and updates the flood profile.
- Review of Fraser River Flood Flows at Hope
( 1.2MB) October 2008
Since the 1950's, the design of flood protection for the Lower Fraser Valley has been based on the large floods of 1894 and 1948. Under contract to the Ministry of Environment, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd reviewed the magnitude of these two floods at the Hope gauging station and have established an updated flood frequency analysis. The report confirms flows used in recent hydraulic modeling, provides flood probability information for quantitative risk analyses and recommends additional work to improve understanding of Fraser River flood hydrology.
- Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines for Sea Dikes and Coastal Flood Hazard Land Use January, 2011 (the report is in three volumes):
- Draft Policy Discussion Paper ( 1.0mb)
- Sea Dike Guidelines ( 4.4mb)
- Guidelines for Management of Coastal Flood Hazard Land Use
( 1.0mb)This report is intended to inform and encourage engineers, planners and others to address sea level rise. This work was undertaken as part of the B.C. regional adaptation collaborative, funded in part by the Province and Natural Resources Canada.
The content of the report is for information and does not represent official provincial policy. In consideration of the report, the Province is drafting a policy that will update relevant sections of existing ministry guidelines. Further stakeholder and public engagement will be part of this process.
- Coastal Floodplain Mapping Guidelines and Specifications,
Final Report, June 2011 ( 9.0mb)
The purpose of coastal floodplain maps is to identify the coastal flood hazard(s) and to provide the technical basis for land use planning and developing floodplain bylaws. Floodplain mapping is an important first step in developing a flood hazard management plan, as floodplain maps identify the flood hazard(s) and provide information on the spatial distribution of Flood Construction Levels (FCLs).
This report provides a methodology to develop floodplain maps for coastal communities for coastal flood hazards, including sea level rise. The report also includes a sample coastal floodplain map prepared for the City of Campbell River, as well as an associated design brief.
Also, as a part of this project, a web-based coastal flood hazard screening tool has been developed for coastal areas in BC.
Coastal Flood Hazard Areas in British Columbia
The website displays potential year 2100 floodplain areas based on approximate Flood Construction Levels (incorporating sea level rise). Note that floodplain areas have not been ground proofed, verified, or studied to confirm their exact location.
- Seismic Design Guidelines for Dikes ( 5.5mb)
This document describes factors that need to be considered in the seismic design of High Consequence dikes located in Southwestern British Columbia.
This document provides guidance on:
- seismic ground motions to be considered for the analysis and design of dikes along with corresponding performance expectations;
- suitable geotechnical investigation methods to characterize and obtain engineering properties of the site soils;
- commonly used methods for seismic analysis considered appropriate for dikes;
- threshold seismic events that should trigger a post-event evaluation of the integrity of the dike system;
- seismic rehabilitation and strengthening measures; and,
- post-earthquake temporary emergency repair and permanent remediation measures.
Contact Us:
Comments on the reports are welcome; please direct these via e-mail to: Jesal.Shah@gov.bc.ca.
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