BC Flood Plain Mapping Initiative: With oversight by a federal-provincial technical committee, FBC is now coordinating detailed flood mapping projects in several regions of BC. These will account for climate projections and analysis. The work is part of a multi-year federal-provincial funded program to support BC communities that have a higher risk of flood but lack updated flood maps.

Lower Mainland Flood Management Strategy initiative: FBC facilitated a multi-year collaborative flood initiative for the Lower Mainland, which was possible through the participation and support of different orders government. Phase 1 developed an analysis of Lower Mainland flood scenarios, a regional assessment of flood vulnerabilities, and a review of flood protection infrastructure, policies and practices. Phase 2 resulted in a new 2D hydraulic flood model and regional modelling and mapping (including sample mitigation scenarios) for the Lower Fraser. Phase 2 work also included a regional flood risk assessment and an analysis of dike vulnerabilities. Local governments and First Nations, as well as some non-governmental organizations, have used the hydraulic model in 60+ flood-related projects to date.

Issued at the direction of a multi-government Leadership Committee, a Pathways to Action report (2023) sets out 10 recommendations to frame possible next steps. These include steps to advance government-to-government collaboration on flood risk reduction. Visit floodwise.ca to learn more.

Regional and Local Flood Assessments: FBC supported projects (2018-2023) to identify flood hazards and assess flood risk in the Thompson watershed in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and in areas of the Cariboo Regional District.

Flood Forums: Bringing People Together: FBC organized two major flood forums: in 2008 (BC-wide) and 2019 (Lower Mainland) to bring together flood authorities on pressing issues. We’ve also continuously hosted the Joint Program Committee (JPC) for Integrated Flood Hazard Management. The JPC brings together staff from authorities with flood responsibilities and other organizations to share critical information, collaborate and build consensus on coordinated flood hazard management strategies.

BC’s Orphan Dikes: In 2021 FBC coordinated a provincial risk assessment of BC’s 100+ orphan dikes (those with no local authority responsible for management) so they could be accounted for in local planning.

Flood Investigations Reports: Between 2019 and 2021, FBC coordinated a provincial initiative called “Investigations in Support of Flood Strategy Development in British Columbia.” Experts were hired and community practitioners engaged, resulting in a series of 11 reports that set out both challenges and opportunities in flood governance, hazard and risk assessment, planning, structural and non-structural mitigation, forecasting, emergency response and recovery, and funding and resources.

Hydraulic Model: An early project that FBC oversaw was the development of a new 1D hydraulic model of the lower Fraser River so that the Province of BC could update the flood profile it had relied on since 1969. The new model (2006, updated 2008) showed that widespread dike overtopping and dike failures would occur throughout the Lower Fraser River region should there be another major flood equivalent to the 1894 flood of record. A near-term outcome was that senior governments committed $33 million for urgent flood works ahead of the 2007 freshet. The Province subsequently updated the official flood profile (water elevation) that is used for dike design. FBC later supported more detailed 2D flood modelling and mapping, as noted above.