Alberta Flood Hazard Identification Program Mapping

Flood studies include detailed engineering reports and flood maps. The engineering reports are typically technical in nature and document the data, assumptions, and results of the hydrologic and hydraulic analyses required to create flood maps. Flood maps are created by combining hydraulic model results for different sized floods with high-accuracy ground information. Flood maps identify where water will flow during a flood, and what land could be flooded during different sized floods. Most flood maps focus on floods caused by high river flows when water escapes the river channel, most often experienced in spring or following summer rainstorms, but they can also show areas at risk from ice jam floods or document the extent of historic floods.Flood inundation maps show areas at risk for different sized floods, including ice jam floods in some communities, and identify areas protected by flood berms. Because they map a wide range of floods, they are most often used for emergency response planning and to inform local infrastructure design. Flood hazard maps define floodway and flood fringe areas for the 1:100 design flood and are typically used by communities for planning or to help make local land use and development decisions. The floodway is the portion of the flood hazard area where flows are deepest, fastest and most destructive. The flood fringe is the portion of the flood hazard area outside of the floodway, where flood water is generally shallower and flows slower than in the floodway. High hazard flood fringe is the area within the flood fringe with deeper or faster moving water than the rest of the flood fringe. Protected flood fringe identifies areas that could be flooded if dedicated flood berms fail or do not work as designed during the 1:100 design flood. Flood hazard maps define floodway and flood fringe areas for the 1:100 design flood and are typically used by communities for planning or to help make local land use and development decisions. Flood hazard maps can also illustrate additional information for communities to consider, including incremental areas at risk for floods larger than the 1:100 design flood, such as the 1:200 and 1:500 floods.Visit www.floodhazard.alberta.ca for more information about the Flood Hazard Identification Program. The website includes different sections for final flood studies and for draft flood studies. Flood maps can be viewed directly using the Flood Awareness Map Application at www.floods.alberta.ca. The Alberta Flood Mapping GIS dataset is updated when new information is available or existing information changes. therefore, the Government of Alberta assumes no responsibility for discrepancies at the time of use. Users should check https://geodiscover.alberta.ca/ to verify they have the most recent version of the Alberta Flood Mapping GIS dataset.