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

The Essex Region Conservation Authority says it has jurisdiction in nine municipalities, the seven in Essex County among them, and the Town's Official Plan names it in its policies; its online mapping tool shows by default whether a property is within its Limit of Regulated Area, and it says not every regulated area may be mapped and that the regulation applies whether an area is mapped or not. The Town's Zoning By-law 2026-050 maps a Lake St. Clair Shoreline Floodprone Area, where a building's lowest opening and its setback from the water are set by a conservation authority permit and no dwelling may stand within 30 m of the shoreline (15 m where shore protection works exist), and an Inland Floodplain Development Control Area, where building or site alteration needs the authority's permit where one is required.

A permit from the authority is needed for work in its regulated area, such as a new home, an addition, a garage or shed, or a deck, dock or pool, and the authority says other approvals from the municipality may be needed as well, so it doesn't replace the Town's building permit. A regulated-area result governs permits; 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 Essex Region authority is to join the Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority on 1 February 2027 or a later date set by regulation.

• ERCA development services: permits, the Limit of Regulated Area and how to ask staff
• ERCA online mapping tool: the authority's map viewer; choose Public, then Launch Map Viewer
• About ERCA: the authority's jurisdiction: the City of Windsor, the Township of Pelee and the seven municipalities in Essex County
• Zoning By-law 2026-050 with schedules: section 4.5, flood prone areas, and Schedule A (PDF)
• Town of Tecumseh Official Plan, consolidated April 2026: the Town's policies naming the Essex Region Conservation Authority (PDF)
• 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
• Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits, the regulation behind every conservation authority's regulated area

Conservation-authority regulated-area and flood plain checks are not currently included in our reports, so for a Tecumseh home the authority's own map tool 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 Tecumseh address.

What we cover, city by city See the sample report