The Cariboo Regional District has applied for a grant from the Union of B.C. Municipalities Emergency Preparedness Fund for detailed flood hazard mapping of the South Cariboo’s Bridge Creek.

The mapping, to include a 58-kilometre stretch of Bridge Creek extending from Canim Lake to Horse Lake, would be a joint project of the CRD, District of 100 Mile House and the Canim Lake Band. About 5,000 people live along the stretch, with improvement values of about $150 million.

CRD CAO John MacLean said the project is a logical progression from work already done in the South Cariboo with the cooperation of the Fraser Basin Council. The work, which proposes field assessments, historic channel change and bank erosion, would allow the regional district the opportunity to prepare and plan for emergency response, while helping to ensure that future developments in the regional district occur in a responsible way.

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“This is a lot of really big work that is going to drive our planning document and how to develop around lakes and streams and our emergency preparedness and response,” MacLean told the board on Friday, March 5.

He told the Free Press later the data may also help to identify areas prone to more frequent flood events. “It will provide us with information for areas that are a little more prone (to flooding) and look at our ability for zoning, building bylaws and opportunities to make sure property owners understand the challenges they face,” MacLean said.

The application follows major flood events along Bridge Creek in both 1999 and 2020. In January, the CRD, along with the District of 100 Mile and Canim Lake Band, sent a letter to the B.C. government, sharing their concerns about experiencing a drastic increase in flooding and stability issues across the region. The letter noted how 2020 was a wet year in which the lakes and rivers reached levels that never seen before. It also outlined how both 100 Mile House and the Canim Lake Band were already experiencing flooding that is unprecedented for this time of year.

MacLean said the province has done an aerial survey of Bridge Creek, but it has not responded further to the joint letter. However, he noted everyone recognizes that the increasing water levels require more attention so “we’re hopeful the grant will be approved.”

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