Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplains

If you are looking for more information about flooding throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality, please visit the Resilient Halifax: Flooding page.  

Resilient Halifax: Flooding

Shubenacadie Grand Lake, Fletchers Lake, Thomas Lake, Lake William and Lake Charles 

The municipality has completed the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study, following the identification of the Shubenacadie Lakes System as a high priority area for flood mitigation as part of the National Disaster Mitigation Program Study (2018). The purpose of the study was to produce flood maps to identify those areas at risk of flooding in the Shubenacadie Lakes system, and to inform and support land use planning and decision making.

As part of the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study, floodplain maps were developed based on computer modelling completed to assess the likely responses of the Shubenacadie Lakes system to various seasonal conditions, rainfall amounts, land use characteristics, and future climate change scenarios. The floodplain maps produced through this study display the recommended floodplains associated with the areas at risk of flooding during the 1-in-20 year and 1-in-100-year design events.

To learn more about what a floodplain is and how floodplains are defined, please refer to the common questions section below.

The municipality will be using the recommendations from this study to inform and support planning decisions within the identified floodplain areas.

Green background with map illustration. A location icon including water sign floats above the map.

Determining if you live within the identified floodplain

View the interactive map to see if your property or residence falls within the area of the recommended Shubenacadie Lakes floodplains.

Please Note: There is a lot of information in this map. Please allow some time for the map to fully load and come into focus.

Over 1,200 properties have been identified within or in the immediate vicinity of the recommended 1-in-100-year floodplain of the Shubenacadie Lakes system. The interactive map shows two floodplains: the 1-in-20-year floodplain (5% chance of flooding in any year) and 1-in-100-year floodplain (1% annual chance of flooding) based on the 2020 Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study.

To learn more about what a floodplain is and how floodplains are defined, please refer to the common questions section below, or visit the Resilient Halifax: Flooding webpage.

Blue background with triangular warning sign with water and exclamation mark

Response to the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study

In response to this study, municipal staff will be reviewing the secondary municipal planning strategies and land use by-laws that apply to the Planning Districts 14 and 17 (Shubenacadie Lakes) Plan Area and the Dartmouth Plan Area. These planning documents regulate the use and development of land in these areas. The municipality will use the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study Report and our other available resources to inform and support future changes or updates to these documents, and to review related policies and regulations. In the future, the Municipality may consider amending these planning documents to adjust development regulations to better protect public safety and mitigate against increased damage from flooding.

Current Land Use By-Laws (LUBs) and Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) documents within the identified Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain areas do not specify restrictions related to the floodplain delineated through this study.

Any plan amendment process will involve a range of public engagement opportunities. Regional Council must also hold a public hearing before any changes to planning policy or land use regulations can be approved or implemented. 

Common questions

What is a floodplain?

A floodplain is an area of land adjacent to a water body such as a river or a lake which is subject to flooding during periods of high flows resulting from, for example, heavy rains or snow melt.

When left in a natural state, floodplain systems store and convey flood waters. Natural floodplains add to our quality of life by providing open space, habitat for wildlife, fertile land for agriculture, and opportunities for walking, fishing, hiking, and biking.

However, if floodplains are not left in a natural state, flooding can be made worse due to increased ice jams, higher water levels, flow restrictions, and faster water flows.

To learn more about flooding, floodplains, how floods happen, and how to prepare for a flood event, please visit the Resilient Halifax: Flooding page. 

What is a floodplain map?

A floodplain map is a document used to display areas at risk of flooding under certain conditions. Floodplain mapping is an important component of land use planning and can help increase public awareness of flood risks and improve public safety.

What are 1-in-20 and 1-in-100-year floodplains?

These terms refer to the probability of a flood event within the mapped area happening in any given year.

The 1-in-20-year floodplain (also called the "floodway), is where the flooding occurs more frequently and where the flow of water is faster. This area of the floodplain has a 5 per cent chance of flooding in any given year.

The 1-in-100-year floodplain (also called the "flood fringe"), is the area of the floodplain with a one per cent chance of being flooded in any given year.

It is important to note that the likelihood of a flood happening in the mapped areas does not change from year to year – no matter how recently this area may have flooded. 

Why was the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study completed?

The Halifax Regional Municipality, as well as other cities across Canada and around the world, are experiencing an increase in extreme weather events, often with heavy rainfall over a short period of time. Extreme events can lead to flooding as the ground cannot absorb all the rainfall.

The municipality has a responsibility to inform the public and to regulate development in areas prone to frequent flooding to ensure the protection of people and infrastructure. The Shubenacadie Lakes System was identified as an area at increased risk of flooding through the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) study process in 2018. Following the 2018 study, the municipality engaged CBCL Limited to complete the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study and maps. 

How were the Shubenacadie Lakes floodplains determined?

The Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain Study was completed by a team of professional engineers, scientists, and technologists using information available at the time of the study:

  • Previously completed studies and reports
  • LiDAR data and corresponding Digital Elevation Model (DEM), topography survey, and water level and flow measurements
  • Existing and planned future development scenarios
  • Historic and recent storm and flooding events
  • Common watershed characteristics for each season
  • Projected future climate change scenarios

Floodplain maps are not intended to show what the entire watershed system will look like after each rainfall event of a certain amount - floodplain maps are developed to display the combination of ways the watershed system is forecasted to respond to a particular amount of rainfall under those varied and common watershed conditions on one page.

This means that while not all highlighted areas on the map will be flooded at the same time from the same event, the highlighted areas are all at the same risk of flooding in any given year and are likely to flood under the projected conditions.

Why is my property shown as being in the floodplain on the interactive map, but my property has not flooded before?

The interactive floodplain maps consider historic flooding and storm information together with future climate change projections and planning and development scenarios. In the future, the municipality is expected to experience more frequent and more intense storm events which are expected to lead to flooding beyond what we have seen in the past. This means that even though your property may not have been affected by flooding in the past, or may not have been flooded to the mapped extents,  the mapped areas have been found to be at risk under the assessed conditions into the future. Because the life expectancy of houses and other infrastructure is often more than 100 years, these interactive maps include climate change projections to the year 2100.

To learn more about how the changing climate is expected to impact our municipality and what we are doing in response, visit halifax.ca/climate or read HalifACT: our long-term climate action plan.

Is development permitted within the 1-in-20-year floodplain?

Current Land Use By-Laws (LUBs) and Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) documents within the identified Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain areas do not specify restrictions related to the floodplain delineated through this study. In the future, the Municipality may choose to amend existing LUBs and MPS to  implement changes to those planning documents to protect public safety and mitigate against increased damage from flooding. 

Does my property insurance include floods?

Provincial and municipal levels of government do not regulate insurance costs or insurance coverage.

If you have questions about your insurance coverage, please check with your insurance provider. Some questions you may want to ask your insurance provider are:

  • Does my insurance cover:
    • Water, septic or sewer back-ups?
    • Flooding from overland flow of a river?
    • Flooding from overland flow associated with accumulation of water from a heavy rainfall or extreme storm?
    • Other damage if my property is flooded?
How do insurance companies determine flood risk?

Decisions related to providing overland flood insurance coverage and associated rates are made by insurers based on many sources of information. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has confirmed that most insurers that provide overland flooding coverage purchase insurance-specific flood mapping information from private sector companies that provide similar analysis across the country to ensure consistent data for insurers to price risk accordingly.

How does living in a floodplain affect my property value?

Available peer-reviewed studies generally confirm that property values are more likely to be negatively affected after a property is damaged from flooding. These studies also showed higher negative impacts on property values were correlated with re-occurrence of damage from flooding. These studies did not show a consistent or direct relationship between publicly available flood mapping information or the establishment of flood zone designation and decreased property valuation.

From Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC):

“Every property in the province, regardless of its location, is assessed at market value as of a given date in accordance with section 42 of the Nova Scotia Assessment Act by Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC), the independent assessment authority for Nova Scotia. Property assessments are based on market evidence, e.g., sales or financial data, which indicate the annual market for different geographical areas and groupings of property.  Additionally, PVSC takes into consideration the physical state of a property as of December 1 of each year to reflect any changes, such as renovations, demolitions, damage, etc. "

Questions about your property or assessment can be directed to PVSC at 1-800-380-7775 or inquiry@pvsc.ca.

Will the floodplain mapping be updated as new information becomes available?

Yes, the municipality is continually monitoring available information, technologies, and climate research to inform our work. The continued usefulness of the Shubenacadie Lakes Floodplain maps for their intended purpose will be reviewed by municipal planning and engineering staff at regular intervals. As new information, data, techniques and technologies become available and usable, mapping information and relevant planning documents will be updated as deemed necessary.

How can I prepare for a potential flood?

To learn more about flooding, flood risks, and how to prepare for a flood event please visit the Resilient Halifax: Flooding page. Additional resources are linked below. 

How long will it take for the new floodplain zones to be established?

If directed to do so by Regional Council, Halifax Regional Municipality staff will work to create proposed drafts of updates to the relevant planning documents. Any amendment processes will include opportunities for public consultation. 

Do other areas across the municipality face similar issues?

Yes. In 2018, the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) Flood Risk Assessment Study identified several locations across the municipality as areas at elevated risk of flooding. The NDMP report was presented to Regional Council October 30, 2018 (Council Report ). 

Are other cities facing the same problem?

Yes. Many cities across Canada and around the world are facing similar challenges. Changing weather patterns and predictability, erosion and development patterns all affect flood risk areas. Controls on new development and certain land uses are often implemented when safety, environmental, and financial impacts are a concern.

How is climate change expected to affect the Halifax Regional Municipality?

Climate change projections indicate Halifax will experience sea level rise, higher temperatures, more heat waves, more rain and snow, more severe storms, and more flooding events and wildfires, and that the occurrence of such events will be less predictable. Extreme weather also drives other climate hazards such as decreased snowpack and unpredictable runoff.

Climate hazards pose risks for people, the built environment, natural systems and resources, economies, livelihoods, and will influence how we interact with the world around us. To learn more about how the changing climate is expected to impact our municipality and what we are doing in response, please visit the HalifACT website. 

What are the municipality’s plans for flood mitigation action?

The municipality is in the process of assessing and prioritizing actions for flood mitigation and mitigation of other hazards throughout the municipality, including recommendations from previous studies, implementation of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for water management, identifying and pursuing internal and external funding resources and programs, and researching watersheds, flooding and flood preparedness. Implementation of many of these future projects will require significant collaboration and cooperation with both the federal and provincial governments, and community partners including Halifax Water, the Municipality of East Hants, and others.  

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