Vanderhoof Looks for Disaster Relief
Vanderhoof, B.C.- The District of Vanderhoof isn’t giving up, despite a letter from Emergency Management BC which rejected the District’s application for Disaster Financial Assistance following this year’s flooding.
Vanderhoof suffered 40 days of flood waters from the Nechako River this summer. Rio Tinto Alcan released high volumes of water to reduce the level in its reservoir during the spring freshet. In her letter to the District of Vanderhoof, Johanna Morrow, Manager, Recovery and Funding Programs with Emergency Management BC writes “Although there was localized flooding, DFA was not declared in Likely for that period of time.” Yes, the letter says ‘Likely’.
Vanderhoof Mayor Gerry Thiessen says the District will move forward to try and seek financial relief for those who suffered uninsured losses from the flooding as well as try to work with Rio Tinto Alcan on a water management plan “You know, we were flooded for 40 days, and it wasn’t any of our doing.”
“Right now, the reservoir is about 6 and a half feet higher than it was at this time last year” says Thiesssen and there are real concerns about what will happen next spring following what is predicted to be an El Nino winter meaning lots of precipitation. “The community feels fairly certain we are going to have another flood or high water event next year” says Thiessen. “If we are six and a half feet higher in the reservoir than we were a year ago, and we’re assured by weather people that we are not going to have a ‘drought’ winter, I do not understand why we are not releasing more water right now and draining out the reservoir to make sure we can handle an average rainfall.”
Thiessen says the District will work with it’s MLA (John Rustad) to try and bring some political pressure to bear to get some financial assistance for those who have suffered losses during the flooding this year. He says the District is also putting together an engineering report on what needs to be done to the river bank to prevent further erosion. It’s estimated the bank along the Riverside Park has been cut back by about 18 inches.
Another measure will see the District put together a case to present to the Provincial Ministers at September’s Union of B.C. Municipalities conference.
The District has already met with Rio Tinto Alcan to see if there is a willingness to meet with the government and the District to develop a water management plan. While Rio Tinto has not confirmed its participation in such a session, Thiessen says the idea was not rejected. “We seem to have in the last week, some desire to work on a water use plan, so that’s going to be our focus, write to the two parties ( Province and Rio Tinto) and work on a water use plan and hopefully that will give us some more input on where we go and the type of river we have in the future.”
Comments
Mayor should be looking into spending town tax base money to do some flood control work instead of trying to build a pool which is over kill instead of asking for funds to cover costs that if work was done would help with the extent of the flooding
Johanna Morrow, Manager, Recovery and Funding Programs with Emergency Management BC writes “Although there was localized flooding, DFA was not declared in Likely for that period of time.”
Vanderhoof
Johanna Morrow, Manager, Recovery and Funding Programs with Emergency Management BC writes “Although there was localized flooding, DFA was not declared in Likely for that period of time.”
Vanderhoof is no where near Likely Johanna, Duh.
Revised —- Johanna Morrow, Manager, Recovery and Funding Programs with Emergency Management BC writes “Although there was localized flooding, DFA was not declared in Likely for that period of time.”
Vanderhoof is no where near Likely Johanna, Duh.
Something to be mentioned is that people and communities downstream of a dam can become complacent about potential flooding. A dam can stop flooding or lesson its effects over time compared to previous unrestrained natural flows. Then when a time does come when more than the usual water is released the wailing begins. There is a tendency to allow development in areas where there was flooding from natural flows forgetting the risk is still there. The Province, city and Rio Tinto all share responsibility for not warning or allowing development in these areas and as a group are culpable for the damage done. If warnings are ignored, so sorry, so sad.
I liked the mention of Likely. She probably can give you details about Cancun or some other exotic location, but anything past Hope, duh.
38 Years ago I was warned not to buy a House in Turner Sub ,so I stayed away and build on Top of the Ridge above a Lake, another Developer on the North side has a Slogan build up here, no Flooding ever . What gets me, why this Flood prone Place has been expanded (Sandy Point), a Dike won’t do any good, the River Level is high in the Spring , so it will percolate under your Place. You may have to live with it every Year . One more thing, I was told before the Kenny Dam was build, Parts of Vanderhoof where flooded every Spring!
Take a Look with Google Earth and see the Loop of the River at this Location, it will tell all.
What was flooding like in Vanderhoof before the the dam went in ?
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