A Windsor engineering firm is recommending a combination of new concrete walls and earth berms to fortify the dike system along east Windsor.
The dikes protect much of the Riverside and East Riverside neighbourhoods from overland flooding due to high water levels on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.
The City of Windsor hired Landmark Engineers to assess the condition and design of the existing dike system along Riverside Drive and the Ganatchio Trail between St. Rose Beach and the Tecumseh border.
Project Engineer David Killen said the new walls and berms should be able to handle another half a metre of rising water in the future, if it comes to that.
"We've identified areas where there are gaps in the dike or where it's not quite high enough and it can be a little difficult because it's going to be crossing through some private property in some cases," said Killen.
Killen said the most flood-prone area found is between Lauzon Parkway and Riverdale.
"That's an area that's in urgent need of protection. The city has been reconstructing part of Riverside Drive over the past year and they have been putting in some of these flood control measures but based on our analysis we may have to do some additional work in there as well," he added.
Killen said the current dike system was built in the 1980s and he's confident the new barriers should last until at least 2050 and hold up well based on the current numbers.
"It's not an exact science, there's a lot of different variables at play but based on the worst case scenario that we were presented from the climate scientists for the year 2050 that's what we're looking to base our design on," Killen said.
Killen said it's too soon to talk about costs and timelines and a full report should be going to council before September.
A public information session was held on Wednesday at the WFCU Centre.