Surrey – When you talk about flood protection in the Fraser Valley, one immediately turns to the freshet consuming the Fraser River and then the Chilliwack, Vedder and Alouette Rivers.
With climate change and rising tides, the concern turns to Richmond, Delta and Stanley Park.
Surrey seems to be left out of the discussion, and the City wants to shine the focus on what they face.
With global sea levels rising, coastal communities like Surrey face a significant challenge. While the coastal flooding threat is not imminent, it is predicted that the sea level will rise by one metre in 2100, and two metres by 2200, which is why the time to plan is now. Surrey has taken a leading position to proactively advance efforts aimed at increasing community resiliency, safety and health.
The City of Surrey’s Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy (CFAS) is a participatory, community-driven planning approach to exploring the impacts of climate change on Surrey’s coastline, and the long-term adaption options available to the City.
Following a year-long consultation to understand community values and concerns, the 3 year project is now completing its 3rd Phase where several options are being evaluated on technical, social, cultural and ecological criteria. Next, a small number of robust, broadly supported adaptation strategies will be refined based on cost, funding and partnerships.
The latest work being done with CFAS examines the potential solutions for Mud Bay. A public survey and further round of engagement which will inform the Project’s final recommendations is now being launched to obtain feedback on a range of options from a mega engineering project to managed retreat. The public is encouraged to participate and contribute their ideas by completing the following survey.
Today, the City of Surrey manages the largest flood control system (dykes and sea dams) in British Columbia. However, these historic drainage controls were not designed to protect its coastline from the forecasted climate change.
The full overview of the City of Surrey’s Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy can be found here.
