Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The Fraser River poses a huge flood risk to many communities. Just not, historically, in winter. For that reason, scientists and governments have invested relatively little time and energy to learn about how the river behaves during its low-flow season—and how that behaviour is changing. The 2021 disaster, however, demonstrated that even when the Fraser doesn’t flood in winter, its behaviour can still have huge and expensive implications for Sumas Prairie. Thank goodness, then, for Siraj Ul Islam and three other scientists ... CLICK HERE for the full story https://fvcurrent.com/c/membership  

Through a combination of temporary and small-scale improvements and better awareness of the danger posed by the Nooksack, Sumas Prairie is better protected from flooding today than in 2021. At the same time, the area remains incredibly vulnerable and the improvements made so far have been modest and incremental. Those two, somewhat contradictory, facts are acknowledged by local officials and governmental leaders. Over the last two years, Abbotsford has done much of the short-term, small-scale work that is possible in a couple years with limited budgets. But true protection will take billions of dollars and help from all levels of government ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The last two years worth of dike fixes, dredging, and awareness-building may help mitigate damage on Sumas Prairie the next time the Nooksack floods. But no one is pretending they are enough to avert another major disaster. Indeed, the scope of the challenge and the practical realities of planning and funding large flood management projects mean that the largest, most-consequential works required to protect the prairie may not be completed for years—or decades. Yesterday, we looked at the reasons Sumas Prairie is more prepared for a Nooksack River flood than in 2021 . Today, we examine the massive vulnerabilities that remain. Tomorrow, we’ll consider the implications of a changing climate and the political obstacles to safeguarding the prairie ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

Just before the two-year anniversary of the 2021 Nooksack and Sumas Prairie floods, the BC and Washington State governments have finally signed an agreement that sets out how they, several First Nations, and local governments will work together to try to prevent a future disaster. On Friday afternoon, the BC and Washington State governments each sent out press releases heralding a new agreement that will “build flood resilience” in areas flooded by the Nooksack River in 2021. The agreement, called the Transboundary Flood Initiative, comes more than 18 months after the two governments announced they would try to team up to deal with the Nooksack’s repeated flooding ... CLICK HERE for the full story