Prince George, B.C. –  Prince George and Vanderhoof are  getting some Federal and Provincial funding for flood mitigation  plans.

Prince George will be getting $791,332 in Federal and Provincial  funding for a slope erosion protection  project that  will cost $1,187,000.  The City will  be responsible for the balance ( $395,668)  for that project. The project will stabilize approximately 165 metres of a 12 metre high-gravel riverbank adjacent to the PW605 collector well on the south side of the Nechako River.  PW605 is  east of the Fish Trap Island  well.   The work will include clearing and grubbing, slope trimming and re-guarding, placement of geotextile, placement of approximately 5,000 cubic metres of Class 500 riprap, rock spurs (as required), slope revegetation, road realignment, environmental monitoring and DFO compensation.

Vanderhoof will be  seeing the construction of a berm along the Nechako River.

Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad says this is a $1.5 million dollar project  with funding  made available through a  partnership between the Federal, Provincial and the District of Vanderhoof governments.

The berm will be about  1 meter high and 10 meters wide which will run the length of the Nechako River  through Vanderhoof.

“It will protect about 210 homes,  recreation and sports facilities in the community” says Rustad.

“From time to time, the Nechako River  will  run high" says Rustad "based on the information  we had from the 2007 flooding,  this was felt to be the best option for protecting the community from any future potential challenge that may arise on the Nechako River.”

(at right,  image from the Vanderhoof flood of 2007,  photo 250news archive….)

In 2007, a high snowpack, and  lots of rain, combined to  push the Nechako over its banks to levels  that hadn't been seen in 30 years.   The waters ran high for 7 weeks .

It is a project the Mayor and Council of Vanderhoof have been working on for some time.