WHEREAS repairs to dykes and work in the streambed in order to prevent flood damage are best done at low water; AND WHEREAS local governments are forced to wait for the Provincial Emergency Preparedness Program to declare an emergency before reacting to flood situations and dyke repairs: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities urge the Ministry of Environment and Department of Fisheries Oceans to allow proactive and cooperative solutions to flood mitigation and dyke repairs.
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT Unless there is an imminent threat to public safety, in-stream work should be planned for the time of year with the least risk of harming the aquatic environment and be completed in accordance with Best Management Practices. For many BC streams, the allowable in-stream construction period or timing window includes most of the month of August, which coincides with relatively low water conditions. Where the work cannot be completed within the published timing windows, ministry staff will work with the proponent and Department of Fisheries and Oceans to allow cooperative solutions. This may involve environmental monitoring andor mitigation to protect fish and fish habitat. Since October 2007, the province has spent 25.6 million on flood mitigation projects throughout British Columbia.