Flood Debris

January 13, 2023 – 9:45am 

Debris management  

The removal of woody debris located in Kingcome Inlet and Bella Coola was completed in December. Small handpicking teams have completed their work on the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers.

The debris removal project has demobilized as crews prepare final reports.

Sediment management

To date, 127 sediment sites have been identified. The sites are primarily located in and around Merritt, Princeton, Fraser Valley, Bella Coola, and Kingcome Inlet. 

Crews have assessed 110 of the sites and 26 of them have been approved for remediation works, such as sediment removal and waterway repair. Work is underway at 13 of these sites. 

A detailed breakdown of the work taking place at each site can be found under the Sediment Project section below.

Additional site visits and assessments will take place along the Coldwater River when the snow recedes, and weather conditions improve. 

A community communication outreach program is underway to discuss the assessments and project works being implemented for the Central and South-West regions of the province. In-person and virtual town hall meetings are being held with affected community members, local authorities, and First Nations. 

To report debris or potential pollution incidents, please call 1-800-663-3456. 

November 7, 2022 – 1:30pm 

Crews continue to remove debris items and restore areas along the Coquihalla and Fraser River.  

As of October 28, a total of 3,130 kgs of recyclables and 1,810 Kgs of domestic garbage has been removed from the Coquihalla River. A total of 13,032 kgs of recyclables and 5,980 Kgs of domestic garbage has been removed from the Fraser River. 

Work is anticipated to wrap-up this week on the Chilliwack River. 

Small handpicking teams continue to work on the Nicola River, while another team is doing a final clean-up of the Thompson River. 

(An excavator removes sediment from Clayburn Creek in Abbotsford)

To date, 127 sediment sites have been identified. Crews have assessed 110 of the sites and 26 of them have been approved for remediation works, such as sediment removal and waterway repair. Work is already underway at 13 of these sites. 

October 19, 2022 – 1:30pm

The majority of identified debris has been removed from rivers affected by the November 2021 Atmospheric River Event (ARE). Handpicking crews are removing the final debris items along waterways.

(Ranger Slide on the Chilliwack River, east of Chilliwack)

As part of the response, 127 sediment sites were identified. Crews have assessed 110 of the sites and 26 of them have been approved for remediation works, such as sediment removal and waterway repair.

See our interactive map for the precise location and status of each site.

For more information on how crews are assessing and managing sediment issues, visit the FAQ page.

October 13, 2022 – 2:45pm   

Crews have started to demobilize on the Nicola and Tulameen rivers, where the majority of large human-made debris has been removed. 

On the Coldwater and Similkameen rivers, all identified debris that was assessed for removal has also been completed.

Any remaining debris sites not actioned during this permitted work period will continue after the wet season, when there is less risk to wildlife species, habitat, and public safety.

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of October 12)

Handpicking crews continue to address smaller pieces of debris along the Thompson, Nicola, Chilliwack, Coquihalla, and Fraser rivers. 

October 5, 2022 – 1:30pm    

Crews continue to remove human-made and natural debris along the Nicola, Thompson, Coquihalla and Tulameen rivers. Handpicking teams are assisting in the efforts and assessments are ongoing. 

(Crews remove debris from the Thompson River)

Final assessments are underway for each river affected by the November 2021 atmospheric river event. Crews have started demobilizing along the Similkameen, Coldwater, and Chilliwack rivers. 
(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of October 5)

To see the location and status of all identified debris, please visit our interactive debris map and reporting tool. 

September 29, 2022 – 12:15pm   

Crews continue to remove large woody debris piles and bridge parts along the Nicola River, east of Soap Lake Ecological Reserve. Handpicking teams are assisting in these efforts by addressing debris along a two-kilometre stretch, south of Clapperton.

(Metal debris that was removed from a sand bar on the Nicola River)

On the Similkameen River, crews worked south of Hedley to remove miscellaneous debris, including tires, vehicle parts, metal debris, and log piles. 

South of Otter Mountain, woody debris was removed from several sites on the Tulameen River. Handpicking crews continue to survey the Thompson and Coquihalla rivers. 


(Handpicking crews working along the waterway)

On the Fraser River, teams removed several items, including boat debris and furniture north of Hope Aerodrome and vehicle parts near Harrison Knob Conservation Area. Crews also addressed woody debris near Squamish.  

On the Chilliwack River, crews removed woody debris near Chilliwack River Provincial Park, and an all-terrain vehicle from the Coquihalla River at the Othello Tunnels. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of September 28)

September 22, 2022 – 11:30am  

On the Nicola River, crews continue to remove dry debris piles that have been gathered along the riverbank. Handpicking teams are assisting in the efforts and have also been deployed to the Thompson and Coquihalla rivers, where assessments are ongoing. 

(Debris removed from the Fraser River by boat crews)

Along the Similkameen River, crews removed tires, various metal pieces, barrels, and other miscellaneous debris. 

(Crews remove a trailer frame from the Fraser River)

Natural debris was removed from three sites on both the Fraser and Chilliwack rivers. One site was also addressed on the Vedder River and west of Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. 

Crews continue to closely monitor the wildfire situation in all regions where work is taking place. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of September 21)

September 15, 2022

Debris removal along Tulameen River includes metal, pipe and loading of concrete lock blocks.

ARGO training for cultural monitors in Princeton.

September 1, 2022 – 2:30pm  

Final assessments continue for each river affected by the November 2021 atmospheric river event. Timelines for completing debris removal will vary due to environmental factors such as heat, wildfires, and water levels.  

In the past week, crews removed a vehicle and efforts continue to remove bridge parts, power poles and other miscellaneous debris from the Nicola River. 

(An excavator removes debris along the Nicola River)

Crews removed barrels and concrete piers from the Coldwater River, north of Coldwater River Provincial Park. 

Handpicking crews completed their work on the Coldwater River and have set up a staging area on the Nicola River. Planning is underway for future work on the Thompson River. Swiftwater Rescue training for crews also took place. 

(Crews take part in a swiftwater training exercise)

On the Fraser River, crews are removing large volumes of woody debris east of the Agassiz Rosedale Bridge, and east of Sasquatch Provincial Park. Small amounts of human-made debris were identified near Yale and removed. 

On the Chilliwack River, crews are removing large volumes of woody debris near Chilliwack River Provincial Park, and approximately 13 kilometres east of Slesse Park. 

Along the Coquihalla and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor for large debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of August 31)

August 24, 2022 – 2:30pm  

Crews are currently removing a vehicle, bridge parts, and power poles on the Nicola River, east of Soap Lake Ecological Reserve. 

(An excavator is used to remove bridge parts from the Nicola River)

South of Merritt, efforts are underway to remove metal sheets and piping from the Coldwater River. A concrete abutment is also being removed north of Coldwater River Provincial Park. 

Handpicking crews continue to remove smaller debris along the Coldwater River and are planning for future work on the Nicola and Thompson rivers. 

On the Fraser River, crews are removing large volumes of woody debris east of the Agassiz Rosedale Bridge. 

(An excavator is used to remove woody debris along the Fraser River)

Along the Coquihalla, Chilliwack, and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor for large debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal when water levels recede. 

Final assessments are underway for each river affected by the November 2021 atmospheric river event. Timelines for completing debris removal will vary due to environmental factors such as heat, wildfires, and water levels. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of August 24)

To see the location and status of all identified debris, please visit our interactive debris map and reporting tool. 

August 18, 2022 – 2:15pm   

On the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, crews continue to remove large miscellaneous debris with the use of excavators. Their efforts have been focused north-east of Soap Lake Ecological Reserve and north of Coldwater River Provincial Park.

(Two excavators remove debris from the Coldwater River)

Handpicking crews continue to remove smaller debris along the Coldwater River and are planning for future work on the Nicola and Thompson rivers.

Along the Coquihalla, Chilliwack, Fraser, and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal when water levels recede.

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of August 17)

August 11, 2022 – 2:30pm   

With the Tulameen River returning to a safe level, crews were able to resume debris removal works on the waterway this week. A vehicle was removed from the riverbank approximately 3 km east of Coalmont. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of August 10)

Crews were also able to mobilize west of Sasquatch Provincial Park and are planning to address large volumes of woody debris that has accumulated in the area. 

The removal of a bridge at Manning Park and a trailer from the Othello Tunnels was also completed. 

(An excavator removes debris at the Othello Tunnels)

Crews continued to remove small and miscellaneous debris on the Nicola and Coldwater rivers. Planning is ongoing to address debris on the Coquihalla, Chilliwack, Fraser, and Thompson rivers. 

August 4, 2022 – 2:30pm  

With a heat warning in the area, crews took extra precautions while removing large debris from the waterways this past week. A truck, vehicle parts and bridge abutments were some of the items removed from the Nicola River. 

(Crews removing small and medium sized debris from the Coldwater River)

Farm equipment, barrels, culverts, and other miscellaneous debris was removed from the Coldwater River. Handpicking crews continued to remove smaller debris along the watercourse. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of August 3)

Along the Coquihalla, Chilliwack, Fraser, Tulameen, and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal. 

To see the location and status of all identified debris, please visit our interactive debris map and reporting tool.

July 28, 2022 – 2:20pm 

Crews continue to use heavy equipment to remove large debris from the Nicola and Coldwater waterways. A submerged vehicle, sheet metal, Jersey barriers, and tires are just some of the items removed in the past week. 

(An excavator removes vehicle parts from the Nicola River)

Handpicking crews also removed 2,144 kg of small human-made debris from the Coldwater River between July 18 and July 24. 

With water levels at safer levels, the removal of large debris has resumed on the Similkameen River. Debris removed this past week included an overturned vehicle, tires, and woody debris. 

(Statistics showing the status of debris removed as of July 27)

Along the Coquihalla, Chilliwack, Tulameen, and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal. 

July 21, 2022 – 1:30pm

In the past week, crews removed debris including telephone poles, wheels, and a building structure from the Nicola River. Some miscellaneous objects were also removed from the Coldwater River. Planning is underway to remove more debris this week.

(Water levels where the Thompson and Nicola rivers meet)

Water levels continue to remain high on the Fraser River. Crews continue to assess when it will be safe to resume debris removal and expect it to be in the coming weeks. There are currently twenty-five identified debris sites on the waterway and that number is expected to rise when water levels recede.

(Statistics showing the current status of debris identified on the major waterways, as of July 20)

Along the Coquihalla, Chilliwack, Tulameen, Similkameen and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal.

July 14, 2022 – 3:50pm

As the water flow returns to normal levels along the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, crews have begun to mobilize and will resume the removal of medium and large debris from both waterways this weekend, beginning July 16.

(Statistics showing the number of debris items removed from BC waterways - July 14, 2022)

Along the Tulameen, Similkameen, Fraser, Coquihalla and Thompson rivers, crews continue to monitor the waterways for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal post-freshet.

(Recent water levels on the Thompson River)

In the past week, twenty-nine new debris issues have been identified on the Chilliwack River for removal post-freshet.

June 23, 2022 – 11:30am

The removal of debris in all major waterways has been paused due to high water levels.

Crews continue to monitor the rivers for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal post-freshet.

(High water levels on The Nicola River)

Here are the latest debris-removal statistics as of Wednesday June 22, 2022:

(Statistics showing the number of debris items removed from BC waterways - June 22, 2022)

In the past week, twenty-five new debris sites have been identified on the Tulameen River, and one site on the Coldwater and Fraser rivers.

June 17, 2022 – 4:30pm

High water levels are suspending debris removal operations along the major waterways impacted by last November’s atmospheric flood event.

The River Forecast Centre has issued a number of flood warnings and advisories. Regions issued advisories include the Okanagan-Thompson Plateau and surrounding areas, south of the Cariboo Mountains, West Kootenay and along the Fraser River. The latest information can be found on the River Forecast Centre website.

(High water levels at Harrison Lake)

Crews continue to monitor the rivers for debris and are engaging with local communities on plans for removal post-freshet.

Here are the latest debris-removal statistics as of Wednesday June 15, 2022:

(Statistics showing the number of debris items removed from BC waterways - June 15, 2022)

Risk assessments are currently underway at fifty-five sites where large volumes of sediment were deposited by the floods. These assessments will determine whether they pose adverse impacts to human health, infrastructure, and the environment.

June 9, 2022 – 2:30pm

On the Fraser, Coquihalla and Chilliwack rivers, ground crews continue to remove small debris as water levels rise. Debris removed from the Fraser River this week included irrigation drums, an oil boom, a propane tank and other miscellaneous debris. Large woody debris was removed from the Othello Tunnels and a damaged vehicle was identified along the waterway. Boat crews also removed a large amount of Styrofoam and woody debris from the Harrison River.

(An excavator removes debris from the Othello Tunnels)

On the Similkameen and Tulameen rivers, crews continue to monitor water levels and identify new debris to be removed post-freshet. New debris identified includes a truck and trailer, a car, bridge structures, woody debris, and other miscellaneous debris.

(Piles of woody debris at the Othello Tunnels)

On the Nicola, Coldwater and Thompson Rivers, rising water levels have suspended field work in these regions. Crews continue to engage with the local communities and plan for further debris removal.

(Styrofoam and other debris removed from the Harrison River)

June 2, 2022 – 3:30pm

Local ground crews continue to remove small debris along the Nicola, Coldwater, Thompson, Fraser, Coquihalla and Sumas rivers.

(Debris removed from the Coquihalla River)

Along the Tulameen and Similkameen waterways, crews continue to examine debris that could be removed post-freshet.

Reconnaissance and planning for work near the Othello Tunnels is ongoing.

(Damage caused by woody debris at the Othello Tunnels)

May 26, 2022 – 2:30pm

Local ground crews continue to remove small debris in the Nicola Valley and along the Thompson and Coldwater rivers.

As preparation for Phase 2 of the project, reconnaissance flights took place along the Nicola, Tulameen and Similkameen waterways to identify debris that could be removed post-freshet.

(A helicopter removes debris from Fraser River)

Large debris removal continues in the South-West region. This past week, large volumes of woody debris were removed by helicopter on the Fraser and Chilliwack rivers. Two vehicles were removed from the bank of the Fraser River.

(An excavator removes woody debris from the Chilliwack River)

May 18, 2022 – 2:50pm

This week marks six months since the atmospheric river event impacted communities across B.C.

To date, more than 300 debris sites have been identified along eight of B.C.’s major waterways and crews are continuing their efforts to clear debris.

Crews have made great progress by removing the majority of human-made debris, including dozens of vehicles, shipping containers and building structures from the major waterways.

(A helicopter removes bags of small debris from the waterway)

All known high-risk debris has been removed from five of the major watercourses, including the Nicola, Coldwater, Thompson, Tulameen and Similkameen rivers. Ground crews continue to focus on removing small debris from these riverbanks.

All remaining debris in these rivers will be assessed for removal post freshet.

In the past week, crews have continued to prioritize the removal of large human-made and natural debris in the Fraser and Chilliwack rivers. Helicopters are extracting large collections of woody debris and excavators are being used to unearth large human-made debris that has been buried in sediment, including two boom lifts.

(A boom lift buried in sediment on the Chilliwack River)

(A crew member works to unearth the boom lift)

(The boom lift is removed by an excavator)

You can track progress and report debris concerns through this mapping tool here.

May 12, 2022 – 1:45pm

Cleanup crews continue to focus on removing small debris from the banks of the Nicola, Coldwater, and Thompson rivers. With the arrival of freshet, there will be ongoing assessments to identify additional debris and create plans for removal.

Debris removal operations have been paused along the Tulameen and Similkameen rivers due to the rising water levels. Planning is underway to prepare for instream works post-freshet.

Large human-made and natural debris removal continues in the Fraser and Chilliwack rivers. Helicopters are assisting efforts on the Chilliwack River and boats continue to remove debris on the Fraser River.

(A large tire is removed from the Coquihalla River)

The majority of debris has been removed from the Coquihalla River. 

(An excavator removes woody debris from the Coquihalla River)

May 5, 2022 – 2:15pm

The majority of instream debris has been removed from the Nicola, Coldwater, and Thompson rivers. Cleanup operations in those areas are now focused on riverbanks and not instream. Further assessments to identify previously undiscovered debris will be undertaken once freshet has subsided.

(A helicopter lifts a car from the Coquihalla River)

Instream works continue in the Similkameen River.

Crews have removed the majority of debris from the Coquihalla River, only one debris site remains in-progress at this time. Work on the Fraser River continues, crews are planning boat launch locations for instream assessments and removal of debris.

(A boat crew assesses a large log jam on the Fraser River)

Updates from the Flood Water Quality Monitoring Task Force have been posted to the flood response website.

April 28, 2022 – 2:30pm

Along the Nicola waterway, work has been completed at 14 Mile Ranch Road and at the Chief Anthony Joe Bridge on the Shackan Reserve. Removal operations for large woody debris and human-made debris is nearing completion along the Highway 8 corridor, from Merritt to Spences Bridge. Crews will continue to monitor the area.

The clean-up of human-made debris is underway on Pine Street in Merritt, which was heavily impacted during the flood.(Crews remove a metal pipe from the Coquihalla River)

On the Tulameen River, debris removal operations have been completed. Instream works continue along the Similkameen River. Crews continue to remove debris from the Coquihalla River and are working to identify other potential debris along other waterways in the region. Planning is underway for debris removal along the Fraser River and Chilliwack River.

(A crew member removes woody debris from the waterway)

April 21, 2022 – 4:00 pm

On the Nicola River, helicopters have removed the majority of large woody debris from Spius Creek. A vehicle was also removed. Cleanup operations are now focused on riverbanks.

Most of the identified debris has been removed from the Tulameen River and crews have begun demobilizing. Instream works are underway in the Similkameen River. Contractors continue removing debris from the Coquihalla River.

April 14, 2022 – 2:00pm

Efforts to remove sections of a railway bridge on the Nicola River and woody debris on the Thompson River are ongoing. A recreational vehicle was removed from the Coldwater River.

Multiple trailers, vehicles, a concrete culvert and a building structure were removed from the Tulameen River. Woody debris removal is also underway on the Tulameen River. Tires, scrap metal, cables, fence posts, barrels, lumber, culverts and concrete removed from the Coquihalla River. Shoreline cleanup crews continue to remove smaller human-made debris.

April 7, 2022 – 3:30 pm

On the Nicola River, crews worked closely with the Shackan Indian Band to remove debris that included two damaged bridges, a piece of rail, white industrial tanks, a house, and metal debris. Debris removal in this area is ongoing.

On the Coldwater River, crews removed farming equipment, a mobile home, multiple pickup trucks, and cars. On the Coldwater Reserve, damaged cars and miscellaneous debris were removed. Two all-terrain vehicles, a cube van and white SUV were removed from along the Tulameen River. Risk assessments for debris in these regions are ongoing.

March 31, 2022 – 3:30pm

In the Nicola Valley, a silver car, sea container and yellow tanks were removed from the riverbank of the Nicola River, north-west of Merritt. Hydro poles and other small debris were also removed from the Nicola River.

On the Coldwater River, small miscellaneous debris removal is ongoing.

March 24, 2022 – 2:30pm

On the Coldwater River in Merritt, the collapsed deck of Middlesborough Bridge has been dismantled and removed. Other miscellaneous debris around the bridge including blue piping have been removed from the water course. A damaged car and section of rail track were removed from the riverbank in Merritt. An excavator was removed from the riverbank east of Coldwater River Provincial Park.

On the Nicola River, yellow containers, farm machinery and a pickup truck were removed from the water course.

On the Similkameen River, a silver car and pickup truck have been removed from the water course east of Princeton.

The purpose of the Debris Action Plan (DAP) is to give the reader a pictorial overview of the debris sites identified following the 2021 atmospheric river flooding event.

As of winter 2022, approximately 97% of the identified debris has been removed from the affected waterways.

The debris sites will be addressed after the wet season, when there is less risk to wildlife species, habitat, and public safety.

The final Debris Action Plan was published on November 23, 2022.

Review the DAP archive:

• November 23, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• November 16, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• November 9, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• November 2, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• October 26, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• October 19, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• October 12, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• October 5, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• September 28, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• September 21, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• September 14, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• September 7, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• August 31, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• August 24, 2022 (PDF, 10MB)
• August 17, 2022 (PDF, 10MB)
• August 10, 2022 (PDF, 10MB)
• August 3, 2022 (PDF, 10MB)
• July 27, 2022 (PDF, 11MB)
• July 20, 2022 (PDF, 10MB)