Integrated Stormwater Management Plans
Review Surrey's integrated stormwater management plans with relation to Metro Vancouver.
In BC, the term Integrated Stormwater Management Planning (ISMP) has gained widespread acceptance by local governments and environmental agencies to describe a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach to rainwater management.
The purpose of an ISMP is to provide direction for future development plans and identify infrastructure needs. The goal is to balance:
- Land use planning
- Stormwater engineering
- Flood and erosion protection
- Environmental protection
In the past, stormwater management planning had a primary function to identify the infrastructure needed to service increased development. The impacts of development were given little consideration.
Today’s stormwater management planning has evolved significantly to become a comprehensive approach to also include the preservation and utilization of resources within a watershed. An ISMP is intended to balance the land use needs with the natural values and functions of the watershed.
Traditional stormwater management planning involves:
- Drainage Systems
- Reacting to Problems
- Engineer-Driven
- Protecting Property
- Pipe and Convey
- Unilateral Decisions
- Local Government Ownership
- Extreme Storm Focus
- Peak Flow Thinking
Integrated stormwater management planning involves:
- Ecosystems
- Preventing Problems
- Interdisciplinary Team-Driven
- Protect Property & Habitat
- Mimicking Natural Processes
- Consensus-Based Decisions
- Partnerships with Others
- Rainwater Integrated with Land Use
- Volume-Based Thinking
ISMP map
See the ISMP Map for a citywide overview of ISMP watersheds in Surrey.
In development ISMPs
- South Campbell Heights
Completed ISMPs
Full PDF reports of each completed ISMP are provided below. Please note that the following files are print quality and are therefore a larger file size.
- Anderson Creek
- Bon Accord North Slope (East)
- Boundary/Shaw Creek Accord-North Slope (East)
- Bridgeview-North Slope (West)
- Clayton
- Cloverdale-McLellan
- Cougar Creek
- Cruikshank and Grenville
- Elgin, Barbara, and Anderson Creeks
- Erickson Creek
- Fergus Creek
- Fleetwood Greenway North Creek
- Hyland Creek
- Latimer Creek
- Little Campbell River (1)
- Little Campbell River (2)
- Lower Bear Creek
- Ocean Bluff-Chantrell Creek
- Old Logging Ditch and Burrow’s Ditch
- Quibble Creek
- Sam Hill Creek
- South Westminster
- Upper Serpentine
Contact EngWebmail@surrey.ca or 604-591-4340 if you would like more information on any of the ISMP projects.
Drainage plans
Drainage plans provide information on managing stormwater. They are an integral part of both large watershed-level planning studies as well as for individual developments by detailing the storm servicing requirements. Drainage plans can be part of a drainage report, a stand-alone figure or a combination of both.
Drainage reports
Drainage reports address the condition of the existing drainage system. They list recommendations on a specific local drainage issue or can address large areas providing information on general catchment opportunities and constraints. They recommend solutions for specific issues or addressing larger concerns and are used to plan for future development.
Drainage reports present the results of investigations into issues that affect the drainage system and its various components. The reports compile information on many related factors providing conclusions and recommendations to effectively manage the drainage system.
Drainage reports, depending on the reports objectives, can provide information on one or more of the following:
- Overall catchment area
- Drainage sub catchment areas
- Catchment characteristics (such as land use, rainfall patterns, groundwater, soils, slopes, slope stability)
- Contaminates sites
- Environmentally sensitive areas
- Terrestrial Wildlife issues
- Watercourses
- Water quality issues
- Erosion concerns
- Minor flows (5-year design storm runoff)
- Major flows (100-year design storm runoff)
- Existing storm system infrastructure and capacity
- Proposed storm system infrastructure and capacity
Drainage reports can include issues that extend beyond just storm water as the changes in one area affects everything else. The integration of storm water management planning requires consideration of many factors.
Where drainage plans and drainage reports are found
Documents where you might find drainage plans and/or reports include:
- Integrated Storm Water Management Plans (ISMP)
- Master Drainage Plans (MDP)
- Functional Feasibility Plans (FFP)
- Area Servicing studies
- Neighbourhood Concept Plans (NCP)
- Development Application plans as Storm water Control Plans
- Preliminary Design assessments
- Reports commissioned for specific infrastructure management issues
Most Surrey drainage plans and reports are available from the City’s GIS department by contacting GIS document services.