Natural Resources Canada retained NHC in April 2022 to develop flood mapping guidelines for three communities of the Northwest Territories including Aklavik, Fort Simpson, and Hay River.

Historically, ice jam floods are the dominant type of flood experienced in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Several communities experienced significant ice jam flooding in 2021 and severe flooding was experienced again in 2022.

The objective of this project is to develop flood mapping guidelines (especially ice jam) for the Government of Northwest Territories. They provide guidance to program authorities and practitioners on methodology to produce ice jam flood maps. The methodology provided herein is complementary to the Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines Series (FFMGS).

 

The proposed methodology to produce the flood inundation maps include data

collection, data review and assessment, flood history, flood hydraulics, flood

mapping, and climate change assessment.