Flood modelling and mitigation planning in BC's Lower Fraser River and Southcoast

• Main Author: Litke, Steve
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2018
• Subjects: Flood mitigation; Climate adaptation; Coastal modeling; Fresh Water Studies; Life Sciences; Marine Biology; Natural Resources and Conservation; Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology; Fraser River; First Nations
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/448; https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2883&context=ssec

The Fraser Basin Council is a nongovernment, not for profit organization that is facilitating and coordinating a collaborative process in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland to develop a regional-scale flood management strategy. This initiative is focused on flood risks associated with the Lower Fraser River as well as coastal storm surge, including the effects of climate change on these hazards. More than 50 organizations are involved, including local, First Nations, provincial and federal governments, as well as the private sector and civil society. This collaborative process aims to better understand the vulnerabilities and risks associated with these flood hazards, identify priorities of regional benefit, evaluate and recommend flood mitigation approaches for diverse local conditions. A variety of riverine and coastal flood modeling and mapping initiatives will be profiled as relevant to inform flood mitigation planning across the region. These initiatives will range in applicability from local to regional scales. A new 2-dimensional hydraulic model is in development to estimate the extent and depth of flooding in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia under a variety of riverine and coastal flood scenarios. This initiative will be presented along with analysis and results from additional local and regional modelling tools. Key issues pertaining to flood mitigation and climate resilience planning will be discussed. For examples, the interactions between flood hazards, flood mitigation, and ecosystems will be explored.