Abbotsford council greenlights massive new flood mitigation plan

Seven months after a series of storms produced devastating flooding in B.C.’s Fraser Valley, Abbotsford city council has approved a new long-term flood mitigation plan.

More than 3,300 people were evacuated from more than 1,100 properties in Abbotsford after Washington State’s Nooksack River flooded and sent water streaming north into Canada.

The Sumas Prairie, a former lake bed and the heart of Abbotsford’s agricultural industry, was particularly hard hit.

Abbotsford council had previously reviewed four options for long-term flood protection, with price tags ranging from $200 million to $2.8 billion.

On Monday, council settled on a hybrid option combining elements of three of the four options, and with a final cost verging towards the high end of the proposed range.

“The struggle for me is the cost. $2.8 billion,” Abbotsford Mayor Hendry Braun said.

“We will do more work on the funding, but it will be in that range, plus or minus option four. But $2.8 billion is a lot of money, I recognize that.”

2:00 Four options set before Abbotsford city council to mitigate flooding

City staff developed the hybrid option following several rounds of public consultation, and said it was meant to enhance existing flood protection while maximizing food security and minimizing the number of affected properties.

The plan will see new dikes built through Sumas Prairie West, extending along the U.S. border and separating Marshall Creek from Nooksack overflow.

That work will create a new floodway for overflow to the Sumas and Fraser rivers, aided by a new Sumas River pump station.

The plan also calls for the construction of three new pump stations in Sumas Prairie West, upgrades to the existing Barrowtown Pump Station, and the conversion of temporary works to permanent works along the Sumas Dike.

It would see Highway 1 raised form east of the Sumas First Nation reserve to Atkinson Road and relocation of a dike on parts of the north side of the freeway.

The work is to be conducted in multiple phases, with priority on the Sumas and Barrowtown pump stations and permanent upgrades to temporary dike work.

Following steps will include developing a more detailed plan with specifics on the scope of work, location of new infrastructure and engagement with residents and First Nations.