Long-Term Flood Solutions Study Moves Forward

By 250 News

The Mayor takes questions during yesterday’s unveiling of the warm water system

Prince George, B.C. -  To date, the City has billed the provincial government approximately $4-million dollars in its bid to deal with the Nechako River icejam.

That includes the $400-thousand dollar price tag for the pipeline installed from Canfor’s Intercon mill to its riverside pumpstation, but not the anticipated operating costs of the Warm Water System (WWS) of approximately $90-thousand dollars for the coming month.

In addition, Mayor Colin Kinsley announced during yesterday’s WWS unveiling, that the province has agreed to fund a joint study looking at the risks and long-term solutions for flooding in Prince George.

Kinsley says the WWS is a very unique solution to the challenges posed by the icejam and it’s just one of many that will be looked at over the course of the study.  He says another possibility could be the purchase of a machine like the Amphibex for the region or province.

The ’Flood Risks and Solutions’ study was first raised at City Council’s January 21st meeting.  The City’s Director of Development Services, Bob Radloff, went over the proposed study in detail at Tuesday night’s Community Flood Forum, where he took criticism for the estimated timeframe of 14-months from flooding victims who want measures in place before next winter.

Radloff says to do a study of the scope necessary to produce some viable, long-term solutions that will serve the entire city for the next 50- to 100-years, the timeframe is a realistic one.  He says the first seven months will be spent identifying the risks along the Nechako and Fraser Rivers, while the second half will focus on possible solutions like the WWS, dredging, permanent dikes, and upstream controls.

And Radloff says the process will include lots of public consultation to include the thoughts and ideas of city residents along the way.

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