Potential of Flood On Fraser River May Reach 1948 Level

Before I get to the nitty-gritty of this entry, I am going to quote Betty Krawczyk from her statement to the court recently, since it echoes what might happen perhps this spring on the Fraser River.

In those days all of southern Louisiana was bound by wetlands, wetlands literally teeming with life. Sometimes the sky would be black with migrating birds and the fish so numerous there were times when you would almost have to knock the fish out of the way with the poles used to push the little boats that were called peroes through the shallow waterways of the bayous.

But after the Cypress groves were logged and the oak forests cut down and the marshes and bayous were drained and filled in and eventually when only oil rigs and gambling casinos dotted the shoreline of Louisiana instead of marshes and shell fish and pelicans and wild rice and alligators further back in the bayous’ and only then when all of the natural eco systems had been destroyed that served as brakes on storm patterns could something like the New Orleans floods occur after a hurricane. The flooding that brought death and destruction to a famous historical city that will never recover.


First, let's look at the historical record for floods on the Fraser River:

1894 May - Flooding occurs due to freshet flood and spring high tide conditions.

1948 June - Dikes breached. More than 22 000 hectares flooded and $146.9 million in 1998 dollars of damage.

According to a report by the Fraser Basin Council, "diking systems from Chilliwack and Kent to Surrey and Coquitlam would be overtopped at one or more locations; the Delta dike at Fraser Shore would be overtopped at one location; and freeboard for a winter storm surge flood would be inadequate in Delta and Richmond."

If a flood does happen, and based on the 1972 flood, Prince George, Kamloops and Surrey are immediately sensitive to flooding.

Should a flood in May happen with a high spring tide, the lower Fraser would be greatly affected.

Will BC be prepared? Or, will this disaster rival New Orleans considering the loss of land to commercial and residential development? Only time will tell.