C-EDR – Rapid Infiltration Basin

The goal is to acquire the land on a voluntary basis and the team is committed to working closely with impacted property owners.

However, the flood mitigation plan is critical for community flood protection and compulsory acquisition may be considered if voluntary agreements cannot be reached.

To construct setback dikes the engineered design will require additional space along the river.

This approach gives the river more room to flow naturally, reducing flood and ice jam risks and increasing public safety.

No. The City anticipates approximately 25 private properties will be affected.

The program will be a mixture of partial and full acquisitions depending on the final engineering design which is in the process of being completed.

All potentially impacted property owners received written notice in May 2025. The city’s acquisition team has been in contact with affected property owners since July 2025.

If you have not yet received a phone call and/or email, please contact admin@keystoneappraisals.ca or at (250)352-6855.

A partial acquisition is when a portion of the property is acquired, such as a statutory right of way (SRW) to support infrastructure. In this case it is an interest in a strip of land supporting the dike construction.

However, if the strip significantly impacts structures, particularly homes, then it is likely that a full acquisition of the property would be needed.

Note: The decision on the location of the dike and whether it would result in a partial or full acquisition is an engineering design decision.

The engineering design is required to understand the impact to each individual property and the resulting compensation.

Without the engineering design, the valuation team cannot complete their work.

It is important that the acquisition team include impacted property owners as part of the program implementation to understand unique issues and concerns.

Keystone has met with landowners to review the program steps and listen to property owner concerns.

Every property is unique and requires different resources and time to achieve a positive outcome.

The City of Merritt engaged Stantec Engineering, a specialist in flood mitigation engineering and dike design, to advance the dike design.

This work was carried out in the late summer and fall of 2025 and will be included in the design and mapping to support the voluntary land acquisition program.

Compensation is determined by a professional appraisal team highly experienced in this type of work. Property inspections were conducted in September and October.

It typically takes 8-12 weeks after the property inspection to complete the valuation reports which will be shared with the property owners. Properties with complex valuation issues identified by the property owner and the valuation team are expected to take longer.

Offers will begin to be made in December 2025 and continue into 2026.

It is the responsibility of the acquisition team to assist property owners with understanding the offer and consider their input.

It is Keystone’s experience that the majority of voluntary offers are reconciled to mutual agreement, but if not, there will be an independent appeal process as part of the acquisition program.

The City of Merritt Flood Mitigation Department has received $60 million in funding from the Province. This is intended to cover dike engineering, construction and land acquisition costs.

• Step 1 Aug 2025 – Oct 2025 Gathered input to support program implementation.
• Step 2 Sep 2025- Feb 2026 Independent valuation of the properties. (Reports take 8-12 weeks to complete after property inspection).
• Step 3 Oct-Nov 2025 Series of owner workshops on critical components of the program including valuation and compensation methodologies occurred.
• Step 4 Nov 18, 2025 Design approval of the voluntary program by City of Merritt Mayor and Council.
• Step 5 Dec 2025 – Mar 2026 Formal Offers provided to property owners.
• Step 6 1-2 months after acceptance of offer Completion of voluntary acquisitions.

Hazardous materials will be handled in accordance with environmental regulations by qualified contractors.

The City will continue to inspect and maintain the sites to ensure they remain safe and orderly. This may include fencing where needed, weed and vegetation control, and regular monitoring.

The Acquisition Team is available to assist anyone with urgent needs and will accelerate (or slow down) the acquisition processes to achieve property owner goals.

Please do not hesitate to contact Keystone Appraisals at admin@keystoneappraisals.ca, or call at (250)352-6855 for assistance.