Is a Collingwood address in a regulated flood area, and whose map says so?

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority lists the Town of Collingwood among the 18 municipalities in its watershed, and its interactive map shows whether a property is regulated; where any part is, the authority asks for a general inquiry through its online portal. It says work near a river, stream, pond, wetland or the Georgian Bay shoreline may need its approval. The Town's Official Plan names both the Nottawasaga Valley and the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority as the Town's technical advisors on natural hazards, and uses the 1:100 year flood elevation of 178.0 metres as a guide for the Nottawasaga Bay Shore Lands.

The Official Plan says development in a regulated area is subject to the permit process of either authority in addition to other relevant approvals, so the authority's permit does not replace the Town's building permit; the zoning by-law also bars additional residential units on hazard lands unless the authority permits otherwise. A regulated-area result governs permits for work near water, such as additions, decks and grading; it is not a forecast that a home will flood, and a home outside the mapped area can still take water through a basement. Under the Conservation Authorities Act as amended in 2026, the Nottawasaga Valley and Grey Sauble authorities are to join the Lake Huron Regional Conservation Authority on 1 February 2027 or a later date set by regulation.

• NVCA: about us: the municipalities in the Nottawasaga watershed
• NVCA: find your property: the Nottawasaga Valley authority's interactive map and how to ask staff
• NVCA: do I need a permit: what work may need the authority's permit
• GSCA: planning and regulations: the Grey Sauble authority's permits and its regulation mapping
• Collingwood Official Plan (2024), OLT deemed approved June 30, 2026: section 5.6.6 on the role of the conservation authorities and the Nottawasaga Bay Shore Lands policies (PDF)
• Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits, the regulation behind every conservation authority's regulated area
• Bill 97, Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2026: Schedule 3 amends the Conservation Authorities Act; the transition date is 1 February 2027 or a later date set by regulation
• Regional conservation authority boundaries (ERO 025-1257): the Province's decision of 10 March 2026 on which authority joins which of the nine regional authorities

Conservation-authority regulated-area and flood plain checks are not currently included in our reports, so for a Collingwood home the authority's own map is the place to look. The full report's water and flooding group does cover past floods seen by satellite, nearby creeks, rivers and ponds, and mapped wetlands for any Collingwood address.

What we cover, city by city See the sample report