Despite being identified in a new report as falling within the Red Deer River floodway, residents living along the river upstream of Sundre are not eligible for compensation under the provincial Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) program, officials said.
“There have been no changes in the floodway maps being used in this program,” said Alberta Infrastructure spokesperson Dallas Huybregts. “Basically a new berm (upstream of Sundre) may have an impact on the floodway mapping but that impact is not known at this time.
“As of right now the maps that exist on Alberta.ca are the maps that everything is based on. We are working to update the flood mapping but that will take some time.”
Asked when that new mapping may be completed, he said, “We don't have a timeline for that and we are basically starting the process right now.”
According to an interim report on the Golder Associates McDougal Flats – Red Deer River Flood Hazard Study conducted by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, several areas upstream of Sundre are in floodways.
Those areas include portions of the Molmac subdivision, and the entire area south of the Sundre airport, including the Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort and the Waldren subdivision.
Under the province's DRP, homeowners with properties in designated floodways in southern Alberta, including in portions of Mountain View County and Red Deer County, can apply to receive relocation compensation.
Through the program, homeowners will be paid the value of their property based on their 2013 municipal property tax assessment. The deadline to apply is Aug. 30.
The AESRD flood hazard map identifying floodways for the compensation program includes along the Red Deer River downstream of Gleniffer Lake to the City of Red Deer, and within the Town of Sundre and on a short section downstream of the town.
The map does not include any of the McDougal Flats study area examined in the Golder study, which saw examination of past flood areas and of the existing banks and river channels along a 20-kilometre stretch of the Red Deer River upstream of Sundre.
The study area is bordered by Rge. Rd 63 on the west, Rge. Rd 53 on the east, between Twp. Rd. 322 and 324. The district is known locally as the McDougal Flats area.
The province has not yet officially accepted the McDougal Flats report. Until it does, Mountain View County will not know if any future development will be permitted in the areas identified in the interim report as being in floodways, says reeve Bruce Beattie.
Under the province's new Bill 27, development is prohibited in floodways, which are defined at the portions of flood hazard areas where the flows are deepest, fastest and most destructive.
AESRD water resources engineer Pete Onyshko oversaw the preparation of the Golder report.
Asked when it could be officially accepted by the province, Onyshko said, “We are currently in the finalization process. This includes county review and public consultation, and typically takes three to six months. Our goal is to have the flood hazard study finalized and implemented by the end of the year.”
Following the release of the preliminary study report, county council instructed administration to prepare a moratorium bylaw that would officially prohibit all development in the study area.
The bylaw is expected to come before council on August 13.
