Alcona Flood Relief Project

In September 2019, we started a study that will help alleviate chronic flooding in the areas surrounding the Belle Aire Creek floodplain in the Town of Innisfil. The study area is located south of 6th Line, north of Belle Aire Beach Road, and east of 20th Sideroad to the shoreline of Lake Simcoe.

This study will be completed in partnership with the Town of Innisfil.

The project includes a Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA), public consultation and stakeholder partnership design process to advance a strategic wetland enhancement (green infrastructure) and a flood mitigation solution.

Project Updates

Alcona NDMP Project - Notice Of Completion

Please see the Notice of Completion (NOC) for the Project below for details on how to provide comments during the 30-day review period.

The Environmental Study Report Documentation File is available here.

Background

On the behalf of the Town of Innisfil and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), Greenland International Consulting Ltd. has completed a Conservation Authority Class Environmental Assessment (EA) to address the persistent flooding that occurs in the South Alcona Region. Residents have expressed concerns about publicsafety as well as the rising economic burden to repair annual damages (total ~$2M).

Problem and Opportunity Statement

The objective of the Conservation Authority Class EA for the South Alcona region was to identify and evaluate engineering design options to address the chronic flooding issues which have persisted in the Belle Aire and Cedar Creek watersheds of South Alcona for over a decade. These design options included green infrastructure to assist with water quality and infiltration. The preferred stormwater management solution would minimize impacts to both the natural and social environments and would be technically feasible and economically sensible.

Process

This study is being conducted in accordance with the Conservation Authority Class Environmental Assessment for Remedial Flood and Erosion Control Projects (Class EA) guidelines. The Class EA process looks at potential environmental, cultural and economic effects, develops alternatives, determines preferred measures, and incorporates mitigation methods. This type of EA includes public and agency consultation.

The preferred stormwater management solution for the South Alcona area included channel improvements in the residential section of the Belle Aire Creek as well as redirecting flows above the 2-yr storm away from the Belle Aire Creek to the local Little Cedar Creek wetland. This diversion would be done with an engineer designed flow splitter. The diverted water would travel from the flow splitter to the wetland through a conveyance channel designed to increase sedimentation. A 1.2m berm would be built around the Little Cedar Creek wetland so that it would be able to handle the increase stormwater volume. The primary outlet for the wetland would remain the Little Cedar Creek. A weir control structure would be built at the outlet to maintain pre-development flows in the Little Cedar Creek.

An emergency outlet would also be built ~1 km southwest of the primary outlet to outlet any storm volume above the 100-yr storm. Two (2) Public Information Centers (PIC) were held on Tuesday December 10th, 2019 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and March 10th, 2020 from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Subject to comments received as a result of these PICs, Greenland was able to complete the Conservation Class EA Environmental Study Report.

Public Comment Invited

By this Notice, the Environmental Study Report for the Alcona South NDMP Project, which documents the process undertaken and the conclusions reached, will be on public record for 30 calendar days in accordance with requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act.

The Project Information File will be available for review between Wednesday April 1st 2020 and April 30th, 2020.

To limit physical interaction due to the COVID-19 virus, no physical copies of this document will be available.

Contact Information

After reading the Class EA Environmental Study Report (ESR) for the Alcona South NDMP Project, interested persons with additional questions or concerns should provide written comments to the LSRCA or the Project Manager within 30 calendar days of this Notice. Comments should be addressed to:

Bhavika Patel, P.Eng., CFM
Restoration Engineer, B.Patel@LSRCA.on.ca
(905) 895-1281 ext. 322
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

Josh Maitland, P.Eng.
Project Manager, jmaitland@grnland.com
(705) 444-8805 ext. 263
Greenland International Consulting Ltd.

If major concerns arise which cannot first be resolved through discussions with the Project Manager, a person or party may request that the Minister of the Environment make an order or a project to comply with Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act (referred to as a Part II Order), before proceeding as a flood remediation project.

Projects eligible for a Part II request as part of this EA include all projects listed in Section 8.1 of the ESR.

Requests must be received by the Minister at the address below within 30 calendar days of this Notice.

Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Ontario
The Honourable Jeff Yurek
College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M7A 2J3

In addition, a copy of the request must also be sent to LSRCA’s Project Manager.

If there is no “request” received by April 30th, 2020, the Alcona South NDMP Project Environmental Study Report Conservation Authority Class Environmental Assessment will be implemented and will proceed as presented in the planning documentation.

Information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.

This notice issued at the Town of Innisfil on March 31st, 2020.

Open House - New Date

The Town of Innisfil will host an Open House/Public Information Centre on March 10 from 4:30 - 7:30pm at Innisfil Town Hall (2101 Innisfil Beach Rd.) in Community Rooms B and C.

The purpose of this open house is to provide project background, existing conditions and to present the evaluation and conceptual design of shortlisted options following the feedback from the first consultation and engineering analysis.

Anyone can attend and/or submit written comments.

To make comments or if you have any questions following the Open House, please contact the Project Manager in writing via email by March 20, 2020.

For more information about the Flood Relief Project, contact:

Josh Maitland, P.Eng
Project Manager
jmaitland@grnland.com

Read the full notice for more information

Preliminary Public Consultation

The Town of Innisfil will host a public consultation on Tuesday, December 10 from 4 - 7pm at Innisfil Town Hall (2101 Innisfil Beach Rd.) in Community Rooms A and B.

The purpose of this consultation is to provide project background, existing conditions and to present the potential green infrastructure solutions for input and feedback prior to evaluation and selection of a preferred alternative.

Anyone can attend the consultation and/or submit written comments regarding the flood relief options. Comments will be received at this public consultation.

For more information about the Flood Relief Project, contact:

Josh Maitland, P.Eng
Project Manager
jmaitland@grnland.com

Comments will be accepted by the Project Manager via email until January 14, 2020. Read the full consultation notice.

Notice of Project Launch

September 20, 2019

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) has initiated a Conservation Authority Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) to alleviate chronic flooding in the existing developed areas around the Belle Aire Creek Floodplain, in the Town of Innisfil. The proposed study area is located south of 6th Line, north of Belle Aire Beach Road, and east of 20th Sideroad to the shoreline of Lake Simcoe.

The primary objective of this Class EA is to develop a flood protection solution that will reduce current flood risks in the project area for frequent flood events.

Project updates and notices will be posted on this page and on the Alcona NDMP Project website to inform the public of the Class EA's progress.