Description: Flooding can cause damage to property, hardship to people, and loss of life. Flood studies and maps assist communities in keeping Albertans safe and protecting their properties from floods.Flood maps are created by combining hydraulic model results with high-accuracy ground information. Field surveys and LiDAR remote sensing are used to collect river and floodplain elevations, channel cross section data, bridge and culvert information, and flood berm details. A hydrology assessment using recorded and historic flow measurements is typically used to estimate river flows for a wide range of possible open water floods with different chances of occurring each year. When appropriate, an ice jam frequency analysis is undertaken. All this information is used to build a hydraulic model of a river system, which is calibrated using highwater marks and aerial imagery from past floods to ensure that results for the different flood flows being mapped are reasonable.Flood inundation maps show areas at risk for different sized floods, including ice jam floods in some communities. These maps also identify areas that could be flooded if berms or other flood control structures fail and are typically used for emergency response planning and to inform local infrastructure design.Older flood studies include maps for as many as three flood scenarios, including the 1:100 flood. Newer studies include maps for as many as thirteen scenarios, from the 1:2 flood to the 1:1000 flood.Flood hazard maps define floodway and flood fringe areas for the 1:100 design flood. The design flood is typically a 1:100 open water flood but may also reflect 1:100 ice jam flood levels or be based on a historical flood event. The flood hazard map includes additional analysis to define the floodway. The floodway is the portion of the flood hazard area where flows are deepest, fastest and most destructive. The flood fringe is the portion of the flood hazard area outside of the floodway, where flood water is generally shallower and flows slower than in the floodway. Flood hazard maps are typically used for long range planning, to inform land use decisions; and are available to all levels of government and the public to help build resilient communities.Flood hazards have not been identified along all rivers or through all communities, and it is important to remember that risk exists in areas without provincial flood maps. Historically, the Flood Hazard Identification Program focused on specific communities and densely populated areas, where the risk to safety and potential for significant flood damage is typically highest. New flood studies can include longer lengths of river and less populated areas, where appropriate.Visit www.floodhazard.alberta.cafor more information about the Flood Hazard Identification Program. The website includes different sections for final flood studies and for draft flood studies. Flood maps can be viewed directly using the Flood Awareness Map Application at www.floods.alberta.ca. The Alberta flood mapping GIS dataset is updated when new information is available or existing information changes; therefore, the Government of Alberta assumes no responsibility for discrepancies at the time of use.Users should check https://geodiscover.alberta.ca/to verify they have the most recent version of the Alberta flood mapping GIS dataset.