Rideau Lakes, November 14, 2016 — Members of the public are invited to an upcoming open house to review hazard maps. The RVCA has completed draft hazard mapping for Otter Creek (from Otter Lake outlet to the Rideau River) and Hutton Creek (from the Motts Mills Dam to its confluence with Otter Creek).

These maps are typically known as “floodplain mapping,” but they also show areas that are prone to natural hazards such as flooding, erosion and natural environment features such as wetlands. The mapping will be used by the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley, the Township of Rideau Lakes and the Conservation Authority when updating Official Plans and Zoning Schedules and in the review of other related Planning Act applications. RVCA will also use this mapping to guide the review of development applications submitted under the “Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation.”

The goal of this mapping is to help ensure that sound planning decisions are made — keeping people and property safe. Accurate engineered hazard mapping is the foundation of effective floodplain and resource management.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the open houses and/or provide comments on the draft mapping. Local residents are encouraged to share their knowledge to help the Conservation Authority further refine these maps. Conservation Authority staff welcome historical records of past flood events, news clippings, photographs and even anecdotal stories to help confirm the reasonableness of calculations and resulting hazard mapping. For those unable to attend an open house, mapping can also be seen online at www.rvca.ca and comments sent to Ferdous Ahmed, RVCA Senior Water Resources Engineer at .

Otter-Hutton Hazard Mapping Public Open House
December 7, 2016 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
South Elmsley Municipal Complex
441 Highway 15 Lombardy, ON