MAPLETON – Flooding has been an ongoing problem in Drayton for many years, and Mapleton councillors agree something needs to be done about it.
And that “something” could cost $4.3 million over 10 years.
Council added the estimated cost to its 10-year capital budget forecast and directed staff to explore funding options and partnerships to make the project possible.
“Within the last ten years the village has experienced four sizable floods,” climate change coordinator Martin Tamlyn told council during its Dec. 9 meeting.
Those floods were in June 2017, February 2018, January 2020 and June 2023, and each was significant enough to be considered a one-in-10 to one-in-50-year event.
The village lacks protection from a structural flood management system such as the Conestogo Lake dam and reservoir downstream, notes Tamlyn’s report to council.
In addition to the significant flooding events, Drayton sees “frequent nuisance flooding in the agricultural grounds, Centennial Park and sports fields,” the report notes.
Flooding in Drayton “has led to decreased property values, higher insurance premiums and denied coverage,” Tamlyn stated in his report.
“The climate projections for the Conestogo sub-watershed is that we’re in for an increase in frequency and intensity of precipitation – so wetter winters and springs, drier summers with often increased rainfall intensity.”
And that means more flooding.
In November, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) recommended Mapleton extend its dike to protect Drayton from future flooding.
The GRCA also recommended a detailed feasibility study to explore potential dike alignments, drainage, green infrastructure, climate resilience and environmental assessment.
Public engagement would be a key part of that process, Tamlyn said.
Those recommendations followed a 3.5-year flood damage assessment study led by the GRCA.
The study included estimated annual flood damage, updated flood hazard mapping and data on vulnerable buildings and infrastructure.
Tamlyn said extending the dike “would reduce the number of affected buildings in the village of Drayton by 95% and [reduce damages by] 75%.”
Damages from flooding can range from $50,000 to $10 million, he added.
Tamlyn called the $4.3-million price tag for the dike extension an “estimated high level cost.”
He said there are several funding opportunities and free consultation services to help fund a flood mitigation project, but many require council to formally prioritize the need for the project.
So that’s what council did at the Dec. 9 meeting, by officially acknowledging the need and adding the project to the township’s 10-year budget.
But finance director Patrick Kelly noted the project will not move forward without external funding, as, “We don’t have that level of funding just sitting around available.”
Mayor Gregg Davidson said he, CAO Manny Baron and GRCA officials walked along the dike about six years ago to discuss the need for an extension, so the project has been a long time coming.
Davidson said he’s “very happy to see it here,” but he’s “not so happy that we have to find the money for it – I thought that would be something the conservation authorities would have to figure out.
“But we can do that,” he said.
“This is super-important to protect our downtown community of Drayton.”
