A new study being conducted in Merritt may end up determining whether property owners along rivers and flood-prone areas are able to remain in their properties.

The BC government allocated $329,000 to Merritt this past week for a study of the local flood plains with a goal to figure out which areas of the community are likely to be impacted again by flooding, as well as which areas could be affected by potential diking the city wants to install.

“It will also give us a little bit of information into how wide these dikes are going to have to be, which also means how far into our flood plain does it extend, which may also help determine where our housing should be,” said Mayor Linda Brown while speaking on the NL Noon Report.

“And that will be for citizens who don’t know whether they should build back now or not. And we haven’t been able to tell them. So this will help with that.”

Pressed further on whether this could mean some property owners may end up being forced out, Brown concedes the study may lead them to that conclusion.

“I’m not saying it will do that, but it may do that. And that is a possibility. And we are looking at that potential for some time in the future,” said Brown.

Brown says if property owners in the flood plain are to be moved, they will be looking for outside financing to help them with the relocation costs.

“We’re looking at over $100-million more. How much more, determines on what happens with the engineering studies that we look at,” said Brown.

“Right now, inflation is killing everybody, and a $100-million may end up not being a $100-million a year from now. So, we’re looking at least a $100-to-$120-million at this point in time.”

The engineering survey being conducted in Merritt is scheduled to be completed by July, so that the city can submit an application to Treasury Board in Ottawa for financing the diking projects, and any potential costs associated with expropriating properties along the flood plains.