Council last week agreed with a staff recommendation to award a contract valued at almost $139,000 for a consultant to help devise the Ladner Waterfront Flood Protection Strategy.
The project includes a detailed geotechnical investigation, flood mapping, current and future risk assessment of the existing flood protection infrastructure along Chisholm Street in the village waterfront and mitigation planning.
A report to council notes the core exercise involves integrating Delta's Ladner Waterfront Revitalization Strategy with the flood resiliency to create conceptual solutions for flood protection infrastructure. Among other things, the improvements include approximately 500 metres of dike upgrades along Chisholm Street to meet provincial standards, as well as raising and upgrading the street to increase its elevation.
The strategy is to also provide direction and options for flood protection solutions to pursue for future construction funding opportunities.
The city this year received a $149,000 Community Emergency Preparedness Fund grant for the project through the Union of BC Municipalities.
The city earlier this month also applied for a grant from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund for the design and construction of the flood protection project.
The program provides a 40-per cent federal cost share for total eligible project costs and projects are to be completed by 2032.
According to Delta staff, the estimated cost of the Ladner project is about $19 million.
The federal cost share would be $7.6 million and Delta’s share is estimated to be about $11.4 million over 10 years.
Meanwhile, the city has been working on a flood management strategy for the River Road West area.
Given the costly nature of that project, significant federal and provincial funding assistance will be required to move the final design forward, according to the city, which notes it is important to have a design ready, should funding become available.
The city’s plan is to address long-term flood protection while creating a series of roadway changes from 34th Street to Ashbury Place.
The ultimate goal is to raise the dike by approximately 0.6 metres by 2050 with provisions to raise the dike a further 0.6 meters by 2100.
According to a report this year by the Fraser Basin Council, which has outlined a draft Lower Mainland Flood Management Strategy, the economic losses from a significant flood are projected to range between $20-to-$30 billion for the region.
