Introduction
The City of Vernon is undertaking a comprehensive update of its stormwater planning framework through the development of a modern Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP). The ISMP will replace the City’s 2001 Master Drainage Plan and establish a watershed based, climate resilient approach to managing stormwater across the community. This updated plan will reflect the City’s significant growth, updated OCP, and increasing climate related risks, while aligning with contemporary best practices in stormwater management, environmental protection, and sustainable infrastructure planning.
The ISMP will be delivered through a two phase process beginning in 2026. Phase 1 will focus on data collection and system characterization, while Phase 2 will focus on model development, system analysis, and preparation of the final ISMP report. The plan will guide long term capital investment, operational improvements, policy updates, and coordinated planning across jurisdictions.
Key Goals of the ISMP
The ISMP will:
- Modernize the City’s stormwater planning framework by replacing the 2001 Master Drainage Plan with an updated, watershed‑based approach that reflects current growth, land‑use patterns, and climate risks.
- Develop a catchment hydrologic and city-wide hydraulic model to evaluate system performance under existing and future conditions, including climate change scenarios.
- Identify infrastructure deficiencies, flood risks, and system vulnerabilities using updated data, field information, and recent studies such as the 2021 Floodplain Mapping and the 2019 Drainage Infrastructure Prioritization Plan.
- Create a prioritized list of Capital projects based on risk, system performance, groundwater interactions, and asset management needs.
- Integrate groundwater considerations into stormwater planning, recognizing areas where groundwater influences drainage performance, localized flooding, or infrastructure constraints.
- Establish a clear, phased implementation and monitoring framework to guide long term investment, system upgrades, and adaptive management.
- Recommend updates to Drainage Bylaw SDSB 3843 Schedule F and related policies to align with best practices and future system needs.
- Support coordinated planning across jurisdictions where drainage systems cross MoTI highways or legacy areas incorporated into the City.
- Provide a multi-year budget roadmap outlining what can be achieved within the current year’s funding and what additional resources will be required in future capital plans.
Background
The City of Vernon’s Master Drainage Plan (MDP), completed in 2001, provided the technical foundation for stormwater management and flood mitigation at the time. Since then, Vernon has undergone substantial growth and development, resulting in increased impervious areas, altered drainage patterns, and heightened exposure to flood risks. Climate change has further intensified these challenges, with more frequent and severe storm events placing additional pressure on the stormwater system.
To reflect the City’s evolving needs and priorities, the updated plan will be delivered as an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP). This approach integrates watershed health, infrastructure planning, environmental protection, climate adaptation, and land use management into a unified framework. The ISMP will build upon key initiatives, including the 2021 Detailed Flood Mapping, Risk Assessment, and Mitigation Study for Vernon and BX Creek, and the 2019 Drainage Infrastructure Prioritization Plan, which used LiDAR based overland flow mapping to identify system vulnerabilities.
The ISMP will also provide strategic direction for future infrastructure improvements, ensuring that stormwater infrastructure investments support long term growth, asset management objectives (considering Life Cycle costs of proposed upgrades (ie. add, replace or repair)) and system performance goals.
