During the past 10 years, the District of Squamish has undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the risk of human harm and property loss from a future flood.
As is often the case in the years after immediate flood repairs are completed, little money was available to complete further protection initiatives, DOS officials wrote in a statement. The floods of 2003 were widespread and the Province had far exceeded its spending forecasts.
In 2004, though, the DOS commissioned Kerr Wood Leidal to prepare a report summarizing the work done just after the 2003 flood and recommending future flood-hazard mitigation work. In 2011, the same firm prepared a second report that prioritized the remaining works.
In 2008, DOS officials began working on those projects, the cost of which will total some $18 million by the time they're completed in 2015. Here's a summary of some of those projects:
2008 Squamish River dike raising downstream of B.C. Rail Bridge; phase 1 of Upper Squamish dike erosion protection works near Squamish Nation Waiwakum Reserve; stability assessment of Squamish River dike.
2009 Update to DOS Official Community Plan, including consideration of flood hazard lands.
2010 Completion of a DOS Asset Management Plan that includes, for the first time, flood and erosion projects.
2011 Continuation of Upper Squamish dike erosion protection; completion of a river modeling study for the Squamish and Mamquam rivers; preliminary design and consultation for dike widening at Eagle Run South.
2012 Sediment removal on the Cheekye and Mamquam rivers; upgrades to the Dryden Creek pump station; bank protection upgrades along the Stawamus River dike; upgrades to the Whittaker Slough flood box and Harris Slough pump station.
2013 Adoption of flood-hazard management guidelines for the west side of downtown along the Mamquam Blind Channel; review of operating procedures for the Third Avenue tide gates and Bridge Pond for flood protection and environmental enhancement; funding application submitted to the federal-provincial governments for additional dike-raising and erosion protection work; assessment and repair of the Brackendale dike sinkhole.
