Permitting & Planning

  • The new IGLD (2020) should be taken into account when planning for shoreline erosion and coastal flooding because the reference zero will change. This will cause flooding and erosion-control reference heights to shift. Heights themselves will not change.
  • Provincial/State transportation departments and federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Canadian Hydrographic Service, the New York Power Authority, and Ontario Power Generation, will need to update to IGLD (2020) for planning and hazard mapping.
  • Provinces/States should update their permitting and shoreline datums.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) will be referenced to the new IGLD 2020, and will need to be taken into account for shoreline development and permitting.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environment & Climate Change Canada will require IGLD (2020) to be the reference in new permits.
  • The new IGLD (2020) reference will need to be taken into account to support sound ecosystem restoration and management decisions, such as maintaining connectivity to fish spawning habitat in coastal wetlands.