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By Adam Berls

flood preparation

Fraser and Nechako rivers to receive funding for flood preparation, mapping

Apr 21, 2023 | 11:52 AM

VICTORIA — The provincial government has announced that they will be investing millions for flood preparation mapping, including for the Fraser and Nechako rivers.

In a news release from the province, they say that the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness and the Ministry of Forests are investing $8.69 million for flood-hazard mapping by March 2024, including funding to support B.C.’s Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy.

The ministry says that the first five flood-hazard mapping areas, which will include approximately 70 communities, are along:

• the Fraser and Nechako rivers in the Prince George area;
• the Bulkley and Skeena rivers from Houston to downstream of Terrace;
• Shuswap Lake and the mainstem rivers that drain into it;
• the Nicola and Coldwater rivers ; and
• the Coquihalla and Fraser rivers from Yale to Mission.

The province says that “flood-plain mapping provides a detailed understanding of potential flooding, informing a variety of projects that can help reduce the impacts of flooding, as well as supporting local decisions by First Nations and local governments to establish appropriate zoning and flood construction levels.”

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“With climate-related events becoming more frequent and severe, it’s essential that we invest in flood-hazard mapping so people and communities can understand and reduce their flood risks…This work complements the development of our provincial Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment and will contribute to ClimateReadyBC, which helps communities access resources and understand risks. Through these initiatives, we are working to make British Columbia a safer, more resilient province.” – Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness

Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests, says that “understanding the risk posed by floods is the first step in helping prevent the damage they can cause and by providing more widespread flood-hazard mapping, we are providing communities with the tools they need to properly prepare for extreme weather as we all confront the challenges of climate change.”

Flood-hazard mapping also starts with an updated understanding of potential river flows and the impacts from climate change.