22


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • SEPTEMBER 2018


Flood management requires collaboration Experts are predicting an increase in flood events and farmers need to be prepared


by TOM WALKER KELOWNA – Climate change


forecasts tell us that we will likely see more frequent and severe rain events, more variations in snow pack and rising ocean levels. People continue to be drawn to waterfront property, and that means flooding will become an increasing fact of life in BC. But for Tamsin Lyle, principal of flood management firm Ebbwater Consulting in Vancouver, change creates opportunities. “Flooding is a natural hazard that


we have been managing with varying degrees of success in BC,” she told the annual general meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board in Kelowna on August 10. “We have an opportunity to change our approach to mitigating the risk of flood events.” Lyle says that past approaches to flood management have been ‘man over nature.’ It’s a strategy that has mostly worked, but the challenges are increasing. “Predictions are that in the US the


100-year flood plain will increase 45% by 2100. More areas are going to get wet and those that already do, will be in deeper,” says Lyle. On the Surrey flood plain, for


example, dykes prevent silt deposits from replenishing the land next to rivers, and residential water use is lowering the water table. The result is that field levels are actually sinking, explains Lyle.


While farmers in the lower Fraser


Valley may have particular reason to worry, flooding impacts everyone, says Lyle. Flood losses average $2.4 billion annually in Canada, she notes. Ottawa pays an average of $673 million annually in Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA). The impact of flooding on infrastructure such as roads, bridges and railways can prevent produce from getting to


Only 4% of dykes in the Fraser Valley meet current standards and that makes farmland vulnerable to flooding. PETER MITHAM FILE PHOTO


market, and food from reaching consumers. Moreover, farmers on flood-


affected land may face the direct loss of crops and livestock. Indirect losses include damage to soil or loss of perennials, such as fruit trees. Buildings, equipment and irrigation lines may be damaged, and this may in turn lead to the release of hazardous materials. “Flooding is a classic wicked


problem which is not easy to solve,” notes Lyle. Addressing flooding requires technical expertise. Uncertainties such as where, when and by how much make advance preparation difficult. The impacts to people, waterfront, farms, fisheries and infrastructure are subject to political scrutiny and at present, governments lack resources. Yet there are ways to reduce our risk in the face of the problem. Risk


involves a combination of a hazard, an exposure to the hazard and a vulnerability. You can think of risk sitting inside a triangle surrounded by its three components, Lyle explains. “We expect that the size and the


frequency of the flooding hazard will increase over time,” says Lyle, and that increases exposure as does the ever- increasing population on flood plains. “In 2016, there were 315,000 people living on the flood plain in the lower Fraser Valley. Furthermore, a 2015 report notes that only 4% of the dykes in the Lower Mainland meet current standards. If any of those dykes break, we’d be hooped.” While we will continue to develop


ways to reduce the hazard by blocking the water, we need to also look at ways of reducing exposure, says Lyle. “How do we stop the things and people we care about from getting wet?” she asks. “How are we going to reduce the impact of getting wet?” There are many small things an individual farm can do to reduce both exposure and vulnerability and make flooding less of a risk, says Lyle. “Start with your buildings and infrastructure,” she says. “Are there ways to make them less prone to flood damage? How are your hazardous materials stored? Would they be affected by water? What is your crop selection? Can the plantings in your low-lying field survive two weeks of being under water? Do you have evacuation plans for your livestock? How will you take care of your family members?” Plan together as a community, Lyle


advises, and look beyond just the dollars and cents to the people impacted. “We need to figure a way to think about the other things we care about,” says Lyle. “Most of us will be impacted by some flooding in our lifetime and it is something we will never forget.”


BC Livestock Producers Co-operative Association Proudly Celebrating 75 Years Supporting Ranching in British Columbia.


We have the transportation and buying power to get top prices for your herd at our stockyards across the province. We are dedicated to working with all producers. Large or small herd, we offer cost effective options that include Ring, Video, Direct and Team Sales.


BC Livestock Welcomes All Livestock Producers.


Call us today to book one of our upcoming auction dates listed below. Top Quality Early Yearling and Calf Sales


KAMLOOPSMLOOP MLOOPS


SEPT. 4, 11, 18, 25 OCT. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30


NOV. 3, 6, 13, 20, 27, 30


KAMLOOPS


Patrick Trueman 250.319.3992


WILLIAMS LAKE SEPT. 13, 20, 27


WILLIAMS WILLIAMS LA


OCT. 3, 4, 10, 11,17, 18, 24, 25, 31


NOV. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, 28, 29


WILLIAMS LAKE


Wade McNolty 250.398.0429


AMS LAKE OKA OKANAGANFAL


OCT. 1, 15, 29 NOV. 12, 26


KANAGANFALLSGAN FALLS SEPT. 10


ALLS VA VANDERHO ANDERHOO ANDERHOOF


SEPT. 14, 21, 28 OCT. 5, 12,19, 26 NOV. 2, 9, 16, 23


View detailed sales listings and watch live auctions on our web site. OKANAGAN FALLS


Shawn Carter 250.490.5809


VANDERHOOF


DeCody Corbiere 250.524.0681


PROVINCE WIDE


Al Smith 250.570.2143


Sign up to receive our Market Report online. www.bclivestock.bc.ca


Only three hours from the Lower Mainland, the Kamloops Stockyard consistently brings in buying power and great weekly prices.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48