In November 2021, an Atmospheric River Event (ARE) caused flooding in British Columbia.
Flood impacts include:
The Flood Debris Management program will work to address the risks caused by debris.
Qualified Professional (QP) Engineers assessed 133 affected waterway sites and 577 debris sites.
Task forces addressed sites where public safety risks were present. Task forces included representatives of First Nations, local authorities and private citizens. Task forces worked together on plans to remove hazards and restore affected watersheds.
Taskforces worked together on identification, collection and removal of various debris types.
Over 450 people from local communities and First Nations received specialized training. This work created 1,000+ employment opportunities.
An interactive debris map and reporting tool assisted in locating debris. This tool allowed citizens to report waterway debris. Once reported, the taskforces and qualified professionals would review and assess removal plans.
Debris removal projects occurred between March 2022 and January 31, 2023. Project teams removed over 16,000 metric tons of natural and human-made debris. Included in the debris was: 441 metric tons of metal, 98 vehicles and 4 bridges.
See what debris was removed and no longer in BC Waterways
A multi-agency provincial taskforce was created in response to concerns about water quality.
The water quality taskforce:
Assessments occurred in Sumas Prairie, Merritt, and Princeton.
The public can view the analysis on the Water Quality Monitoring Task Force Hub.
The November 2021 ARE caused sediment movement, flooding and changes to B.C.'s river and creek systems. The sediment movement caused adverse impacts and extensive damage in some areas.
The Flood Debris Management program assessed sediment sites that posed risks to:
Current work includes removing and relocating sediment from identified waterways.
Flood Debris Management site tour
The Flood Debris Management Secretariat, from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, hosted a two-day tour of current project sites in the Fraser Valley that have ongoing recovery work from the November 2021 Atmospheric River Event (ARE).
The ARE caused substantial sediment movement, flooding and changes through B.C.'s river and creek systems, some of which caused adverse impacts and extensive damage.
Current work includes removing and relocating sediment from identified waterways which had potential to cause current or future issues to the surrounding areas.
This tour was an opportunity for teams from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to meet the project teams and ask questions to gain clarification on recovery plans to assist with the permit and authorization process. Project teams were represented by members including: Leq'a:mel First Nation, Semá:th First Nation, Cheam First Nation, engineers, biologists, environmental groups and private land owners.
Image: tour participants hiked in the snow and rain to view the Slesse Park Landslide on the Chilliwack River.
Image: Kilgard Creek showing low capacity in creek due to heavy sedimentation.
Willow whips find a new home
166 willow whip bundles harvested from the Hatzic Valley project were able to be rehomed. Approximately 110 bundles went to the Shxwlistexw te Sqwá:la Shxweli – Caring for the Life Spirit of the Hope Slough (Hope Slough project) and the remaining 56 bundles were donated to SAY Nations (Skowkale, Aitchelitz and Yakweakwioose), SAY will be using the willow for their 2km biodiversity and restoration project along the banks of Chilliwack creek (Old Chilliwack river).
Learn more about current sediment projects happening in your area.
Area: Chawathil First Nation outside Hope
Large amounts of sediment and woody debris accumulated at three sites in the area, which caused flooding of roads and houses. The remediation process involves removing the sediment, reconstructing existing culverts, and repairing stream banks to reestablish proper drainage.
This interactive debris map shows real-time location and debris removal caused by the Atmospheric River Event (ARE).
This interactive hub provides resources and tools to aid in the assessment of environmental contamination caused by the British Columbia atmospheric river events of 2021.
Flood Debris Management Secretariat FAQ [PDF, 411KB]