Master Drainage Plan Update and Climate Adaptation Strategy

The Town of Golden proposes to develop a Master Drainage Plan Update and Climate Adaptation Strategy to reduce the Town`s vulnerability to climate change impacts and to ensure adequate level of service.The project aims to update the current Master Drainage Plan to integrate in it climate change adaptation strategies. The Town's existing stormwater infrastructure was not designed to manage the current or expected amount of runoff of which has increased in recent years due to climate change effects. Including climate change adaptation measures is becoming a paramount priority for the Town of Golden. It is recognized that flooding events and extreme weather events are likely to become more common and more intense. Climate change studies for the Columbia Basin region concluded that higher temperatures may result in more short duration, high intensity rain events that can cause flooding in urban areas if appropriate stormwater infrastructures are not designed to accommodate these heavy storms. Through the implementation of the Plan the following objectives would be achieved:• Environmental: reduction of flooding events, protection of environmental sensitive areas from flooding, reduction of greenhouse gases• Economical: protection of Town assets and infrastructures from flooding; protection of the Town residents and businesses from the consequences of flooding; increased of level of stormwater service• Social: protection of the resident and visitors health and well being from flooding impacts; provide safe gathering places for community events and social engagement.The plan will be conceptualized and developed with an integrated approach between Town's planning, engineering and asset management departments. It will also engage other stakeholders such as British Columbia Ministry of Environment and other relevant regional stakeholders. Stakeholder meetings will help understanding the expectations in terms of any upcoming regulatory requirements, and the timing of implementation. The project will review the existing document and data, create a stormwater model that analyzes existing and future conditions, integrate into the stormwater model climate change new Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves, and prepare stormwater climate adaptation strategy, options and costs. The Plan would also lead to the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) by reducing the frequency of required repairs and maintenance to storm infrastructures, which translates in the reduction of GHG since equipment based maintenance requirements on road surfaces and deep storm utilities would be significantly less. The proposed study would address the planning changes on how to address stromwater and the climate change adaptation components necessary to further advance the Town goals in climate change adaptation.