Long Pond Flow Control Structure and Flood Mitigation

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The Rennies River watershed has been subjected to major flood events caused by river flooding. One of the earlier major flood events recorded was in 1986 when 110 mm of rainfall caused flooding along Leary’s Brook and Rennies River. Increasing urbanization in the Rennies River watershed, more frequent and intense precipitation events, and anticipated increase in precipitation frequency and intensity due to climate change are expected to result in an increase in risk of flood damage along Rennies River.

The Rennies River Catchment Stormwater Management Plan (RRCSMP) was completed in 2014. On May 26, 2014, Council Directive CD# R2014-05-26/5 recommended the below to address flooding in the area.

To reduce flood risk and take action to safeguard residential dwellings and community infrastructure, the City is proposing to construct a flow control structure across the outlet of Long Pond to help protect areas downstream of Long Pond from flooding as well as associated flood mitigation infrastructure. The additional infrastructure (cast-in-place wall and two earth berms) are intended to mitigate flood damage to nearby infrastructure.

The proposed structure will be located on the downstream side of the Allandale Rd bridge and will allow for pedestrians to cross over the structure via a 3.0m wide walkway.

The project registration documentation will be submitted to the Province to start the Environmental Assessment (EA) process. Work on the detailed design, tendering and construction will not start until after the undertaking is released from EA review.

The City of St. John's wants to inform the public of this proposed project and address any questions or concerns they may have. Please read the FAQs and post any questions or comments in our Discussion area.

Feedback gathered through this project will be included in the City's submission to the Government of NL.


A virtual public meeting is scheduled for December 7th at 7pm. Click here to register.

The Rennies River watershed has been subjected to major flood events caused by river flooding. One of the earlier major flood events recorded was in 1986 when 110 mm of rainfall caused flooding along Leary’s Brook and Rennies River. Increasing urbanization in the Rennies River watershed, more frequent and intense precipitation events, and anticipated increase in precipitation frequency and intensity due to climate change are expected to result in an increase in risk of flood damage along Rennies River.

The Rennies River Catchment Stormwater Management Plan (RRCSMP) was completed in 2014. On May 26, 2014, Council Directive CD# R2014-05-26/5 recommended the below to address flooding in the area.

To reduce flood risk and take action to safeguard residential dwellings and community infrastructure, the City is proposing to construct a flow control structure across the outlet of Long Pond to help protect areas downstream of Long Pond from flooding as well as associated flood mitigation infrastructure. The additional infrastructure (cast-in-place wall and two earth berms) are intended to mitigate flood damage to nearby infrastructure.

The proposed structure will be located on the downstream side of the Allandale Rd bridge and will allow for pedestrians to cross over the structure via a 3.0m wide walkway.

The project registration documentation will be submitted to the Province to start the Environmental Assessment (EA) process. Work on the detailed design, tendering and construction will not start until after the undertaking is released from EA review.

The City of St. John's wants to inform the public of this proposed project and address any questions or concerns they may have. Please read the FAQs and post any questions or comments in our Discussion area.

Feedback gathered through this project will be included in the City's submission to the Government of NL.


A virtual public meeting is scheduled for December 7th at 7pm. Click here to register.

  • Update

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    On May 25, 2022, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change released the Long Pond Flood Control Structure project from the Environmental Assessment process. As the project is within the Pippy Park boundary, a condition of the release was that the City was to get approval for the project from the Pippy Park Commission. The City subsequently met with the Pippy Park Commission (PPC) and formally requested commission approval on August 29, 2022. On Dec 2, 2022, the PPC formally rejected the City's request on the basis that the project goes against their mandate to ensure Pippy Park is managed as the core protected area within the Northeast Avalon. The project cannot proceed without the Commission’s approval and discussions with PPC are ongoing.


  • Minister of Environment and Climate Change Releases Project

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    On May 25, 2022, Hon. Bernard Davis, MHA, Minister of Environment and Climate Change released the Long Pond Flood Control Structure from further environmental assessment. Details of the Minister's release can be found on the Department of Environment and Climate Change website: https://www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/projects/project-2183/

    The next step for the project will be further discussions with CA Pippy Park Commission seeking approval as noted in the Minister's decision letter. Detailed design and construction will proceed subject to approval by the CA Pippy Park Commission.

  • Environmental Assessment Process is Underway

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    The Long Pond Flow Control Structure and Flood Mitigation Project has been registered with the Province for the Environmental Assessment review, and the project can be seen on the Province's website. The information contained in the registration is now under review to determine whether the project can be released, rejected, or may require further assessment. A copy of the acknowledgement has been uploaded in the document library. We will update this page further when the undertaking is released from EA review.

  • What We Heard: Public Engagement for Long Pond Flow Control and Flood Mitigation

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    What We Heard during public engagement for the Long Pond flow control and flood mitigation project will be presented to Committee of the Whole today.

    Public engagement for the project was announced on November 23 and virtual information session took place on Tuesday, Dec. 7. In total, the engagement page received 192 unique visitors with over 40 people attending the public information session online.

    Project Overview

    The Rennies River watershed has been subjected to major flood events caused by rain and subsequent river flooding. To help reduce downstream flooding impacts to properties, the City is proposing construction of a flow control structure across the outlet of Long Pond.

    The purpose of the engagement was to inform the public of this proposed project, address any questions or concerns and compile feedback gathered to include in the City's submission to the Government of NL.

    Highlights of Feedback:

    • Residents asked that Allandale Road bridge allow for pedestrians and active transportation.
    • Concerns regarding water levels in Long Pond following a major flooding event, after the structure is in place, and questions about how the increase would impact the natural environment.
    • Concerns around effectiveness of proposed solution at preventing catastrophic damage.
    • General sense that the proposal is a tradeoff between additional flooding at Long Pond, to benefit a small number of homeowners, or to allow flooding downstream.
    • Concerns over unanticipated impacts in the future.

    Next Steps

    Project documents, and feedback gathered during public engagement will be submitted to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to start the Environmental Assessment Process. Work on the detailed design, tendering and construction will not start until after the undertaking is released from provincial review.

    You can view the full the document here.

Page last updated: 31 May 2024, 09:42 AM