Protecting public safety, homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure from flood risk is a top priority for the City of Richmond. At an average elevation of one metre above sea level, Richmond is exposed to potential flooding resulting from sea level rise due to climate change, coastal storm surges, snowmelt flooding and extreme weather events.

We recognize these risks and are currently advancing the Council-approved Dike Master Plan with proposed upgrades to an approximately 850-metre section of the South Dike, from 6080 Dyke Road to Gilbert Road.

In the fall of 2024, the City invited public feedback on a preliminary design concept. This input informed refinements to the concept developed under the Council-approved Dike Master Plan, which City staff then presented to City Council.

This preliminary design proposed raising approximately 850 metres of dike through the London Landing area. This upgrade would:

• raise 180 metres of Dyke Road and the dike by an average of 0.8 metres, to an elevation of 4.1 metres from the project’s western limit to the London Landing Parking Lot
• raise 670 metres by an average of 1.5 metres, to an elevation of 4.7 metres from the London Landing Parking Lot to the project’s eastern limit
• designs are prepared to allow the City the ability to further raise this dike section to an elevation of 5.5 metres in the future

Following the presentation of this design, staff received further feedback from residents and have developed alternative design concepts to capture these ideas. We are now seeking additional community input on these alternative concepts.