Sylvan Lake Climate Resilience Action Plan

The Town of Sylvan Lake, through the preparation of this Action Plan, is taking steps towards a safe, prosperous and resilient future. The Action Plan identifies several anticipatory measures to manage priority risks and opportunities anticipated to result from climate change in the area over the next several decades.

Scope

Spatial scope – geographic boundaries of the Town of Sylvan Lake. However, it is recognized that impacts could occur outside the municipal boundaries which could affect the Town. It is also important to recognize that Sylvan Lake is a shared resource and impacts to the Lake will also affect surrounding communities.

Operational scope – potential community-wide impacts, which includes impacts to municipal infrastructure, property and services, as well as impacts to private property, the local economy, the health and lifestyle of residents and the natural environment.

Risks

15 climate-related risks.

4 judged to be priorities requiring immediate action – Wind storms, Shoreline erosion and wildlife habitat stress, Increased water temperature and reduced water availability, Overland flooding.

Opportunities

3 climate-related opportunities, not chosen for action planning – Winter tourism, summer tourism, reduced road maintenance.

Actions

14 actions across each priority risk – Wind storm (3 actions), Shoreline erosion and wildlife habitat stress (4 actions), Increased water temperatures and reduced water availability (4 actions), Overland flooding (3 actions).

Social Equity

Potential local risk – heat stress (Increased stress on vulnerable populations from extreme heat).

Community Engagement

One day workshop with local stakeholders.

Implementation

Each action includes description of the action, total implementation costs (low – very high), timeframe for implementation (ongoing – long-term), and lead department or organization.