Perseverance pays off in community protection

Another interesting chapter in our story centred on the Fraser River debris trap. The debris trap, located near Agassiz in the Fraser Valley, is a uniquely designed set of floating booms that intercepts large volumes of natural wood debris (45-55,000 cubic metres on average) during spring high water. Without the trap, woody debris would move downstream into the lower reaches of the river and Strait of Georgia, posing a risk to human safety, navigation and foreshore structures.

The Fraser Basin Council served as secretariat for the Fraser River Debris Trap Operating Committee for 12 years. A key challenge was to secure shared funding agreements for the facility and ensure no lapse in operation. In 2006 FBC commissioned a study of the trap that showed it offered widespread public benefits. At the time, it was estimated that the trap prevented at least $8 million in costs of clean-up and repairs, and paid for itself 12 times over.

Thanks to this and further efforts, the future of the trap was finally secured when the Province of BC and the Port of Vancouver signed a long-term funding and management agreement, beginning in 2011. Today the debris trap continues to operate, helping to safeguard Lower Fraser communities from large amounts of woody debris each spring when the waters rise.