Riparian Areas in Calgary

October 3 2014 Presented By: George Roman, MSc The City of Calgary Water Resources Strategic Services - Resource Planning & Policy

Presentation Overview • What are Riparian Areas? What is the Riparian Strategy? • Riparian Mapping Tools : 15 min

• Riparian Strategy Implementation Plan: Progress Update: 5 min www.calgary.ca (search term: “riparian”) http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Watersheds-and-rivers/Riverbanks-and-Floodplains-in-Calgary.aspx

What are Riparian Areas?

Alberta Water Council (2013)

What is the Riparian Strategy?

Endorsed by Council Committee in summer 2013

Riparian Mapping Tools: Overview • Project Completed for The City of Calgary in 2012-2013 • Steering Committee: Water Resources, Parks, Land Use Planning + Policy • Primary Objectives: • Strategic catalyst

•

Support, complement, and inform plans/policies/processes, e.g., -Watershed Planning -Urban Planning -Regulatory Processes -River Engineering -Riparian Strategy

• Focused on major rivers and creeks in city

Riparian Modelling + Mapping Tools • Modelling Exercises – Variable Width Riparian Areas Model  “Where are the riparian areas?” – Current (2007) Environmental Reserve (ER) Setback Guidelines Model – Riparian Management Category Maps (“Opportunities”)

• Maps – Detailed maps (1:7500 scale) in 3 themes: • #1: Riparian Area Location and Function • #2: Land and Regulatory Issues • #3: Infrastructure – Broader “Riparian Management Category” Maps • Technical Report –

Variable Width Riparian Areas Modelling • “Cost-distance” method: uses slope raster + distance to bank

• Accepted method to map variable width riparian areas with GIS (e.g., Hemstrom et al. 2002; Dilts et al. 2010)

• Once a GIS “cost surface” is created, “thresholds” define riparian boundaries

Variable Width Riparian Areas Modelling • Riparian boundary “thresholds” determined with: • Field sampling riparian vegetation “edges” in open spaces (GPS) • Supplemented by Cows and Fish RHI riparian polygon edges (GPS) • Separate analyses for each stream/river (e.g., Bow, Elbow, Nose Creek, etc.) • Statistics, based on field data, defined the locations of: • Inner Riparian Zone: Virtually certain to be riparian • Middle Riparian Zone: Areas with strong potential for riparian conditions • Outer Riparian Zone: Riparian in many circumstances if conditions are right

• Outermost Riparian Zone: Areas typically not riparian, but in some cases are (statistical outliers), requiring field investigations

Variable Width Riparian Model: Sample Outputs West Nose Creek

Sample Map: Riparian Areas

Riparian Location + Function Map

Riparian Maps vs. June 2013 Flooding

Riparian Maps 2012

June 2013 Flooding

Riparian Maps vs. June 2013 Flooding

Summary Statistics: Riparian Extents River/Stream

Range in Riparian Widths* (m)

Bow River

145 m – 350 m

Elbow River

106 m – 287 m

Nose Creek

34 m – 63 m

West Nose Creek

26 m – 41 m

Forest Lawn Creek

67 m –120 m

Radio Tower Creek

28 m – 51 m

Pine Creek

35 m – 50 m

12 Mile Coulee Creek 22 m – 34 m Coach Creek

16 m – 25 m

* Based on 2nd Quartile to 4th quartile range of riparian edge

Calgary Environmental Reserve (ER) Setback Modelling / Mapping City ER Setback Policy for Rivers/Streams Setback Type

1st order stream

Base

Adjustment Factor*

Setback

Slope

6m +1.5 m for each % of slope greater than 5%

2nd order stream

30m

3rd order stream

50m

4th order stream

50m

*Additional adjustment factors for alluvial aquifer/cover condition

ER Setback Model Results (Memorial/Crowchild)

ER Setback Modelling

Map Theme 2: Land and Regulatory Issues

Riparian Land Uses (Existing) 80% 70% 60% 50%

40% 30%

20% 10%

0%

Developed

Undeveloped

Riparian Land Uses (Existing) 60.0%

Undeveloped 50.0% 40.0% 30.0%

Developed Riparian Areas 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Commercial

Industrial

Residential

Institutional

TUC/Major Infrastructure

Mixed Use

Parks/Rec

"Future Urban Development"

Lost / Developed Riparian Areas

Lost / Developed Riparian Areas: Nose Creek Watershed

Evanston / Hidden Valley / Sage Hill

Confluence Park/Huntington Hills/ Skyline Industrial

Riparian Opportunities Mapping • Engaged stakeholders in defining policy opportunities + gaps: • Survey • Web Map Tool • Feb. 2013 workshop (65 attendees)

•Provide an overall spatial “vision” + guiding document for riparian planning and management (also identified policy gaps) • Define + allocate management categories to riparian areas (represent vision / management intent for program development and integration purposes)

Stakeholder Engagement: Workshop • Conservation Priorities • Restoration Priorities • Management Categories/Uses

Stakeholder Engagement: Policy Gaps Probing Questions: • What are the gaps in riparian policies?

Riparian Management Categories MANAGEMENT CATEGORY CONSERVATION

RESTORATION

RECREATION

FLOOD AND EROSION CONTROL

DEVELOPED

EXAMPLE IMAGES

Multi-Criteria Management Category Allocation

47 data layers used

“Marxan” computer optimization tool for land-use solutions applied

Management Zone Mapping

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Management Zone Mapping

Page 29

Post-Flooding Assessment • 3 days field reconnaissance conducted - July 2013 • Most “Restoration Zones” showed severe bank erosion and damage • Conservation Zones typically remained intact • Post-flood landscape changes require site evaluations to interpret city-wide mapping

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Applications: City Programs / Plans • City of Calgary Riparian Strategy (2013) +

Riparian Implementation Plan / Program (2014) • Area Structure Plans (ASPs) • Area Redevelopment Plans (ARPs) • Parks / recreation planning and management

• Biophysical Impact Assessments (BIAs) • River engineering/bio-engineering projects

Aligning Activities

Riparian Health Restoration Protecting Riparian Health

Riparian Communications

Riparian Land Use Planning

Connecting Calgarians

Riparian Triple Bottom Line Valuation

Recognizing Value

City of Calgary Riparian Implementation Plan: Schedule 2014 June

2015 July

Riparian Program Chartering (Complete)

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Draft Riparian Implementation Program Document

Nov. Internal Review, Survey, Workshops

Dec .

Revise Draft

Jan External Review, Survey, Workshops

Feb.

Revise Draft

Mar .

Present to Council Comm.

Peer Review

www.calgary.ca (search term: “riparian”) http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Watersheds-and-rivers/Riverbanks-andFloodplains-in-Calgary.aspx

Decision Matrix for River Engineering Projects Riparian Management Zone

Hard Engineering

Bioengineering / Soft Engineering

Example Sites

Flood and Erosion Control Zones

 Permitted

 Permitted -Strongly encouraged

Memorial + 19th St. Alyth Yard Bridge MacDonald Bridge Elbow Rail Bridge

 Required -Designs are to focus on minimizing environmental impacts

Discovery Ridge

 Discretionary -Highly Discouraged

 Permitted -Strongly encouraged

Douglasdale

 Discretionary -Highly Discouraged

 Discretionary -Designs are to focus on minimizing aesthetic + environmental impacts

Lindsay Park

Conservation Zones

 Prohibited

Restoration Zones

Recreation Zones

Parkdale

South Highfield

Elbow Retaining Wall Inglewood Golf Course

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Parks’ Riparian Uplift Initiative • Identified priorities for riparian restoration: – Douglasdale – Sue Higgins Park – Lindsay Park – Inglewood Bird Sanctuary – Confluence Park

Key Messages • Riparian management = floodplain management • Intact, well-vegetated, healthy riparian areas are resilient and adapted to floods and provide a wide range of functions and services

• A coordinated riparian program is aiming to realize these benefits both now and in the future

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Riparian Areas in Calgary: Past….

South Bank of Bow River viewed from Centre St. bridge

Present….

View NE from 3rd St. SE, garbage and automobiles litter the bank

And Future….?