The Province has committed to work with the District of West Kelowna to find permanent solutions for flood mitigation on McDougall Creek to help protect homeowners and road access, and also to help prevent the localized flood threat from extending upstream.

"I have met McDougall Creek residents who told me about the heartache of wondering whether their property would be flooded almost every single year," said Premier Christy Clark. "I promised to help them find certainty, and this funding delivers a cost-effective, long-term flood protection solution for West Kelowna."

The district has submitted an application through the Flood Protection Program (FPP) for flood-mitigation works worth $510,000. The provincial portion of the project will be up to two-thirds of the cost ($340,000), and funding is contingent on the district committing to pay for one-third of total mitigation works.

"Clearly this is just one of many trouble spots across our province, and flooding is also not our only hazard," said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton. "The federal government is consulting on a new national disaster-mitigation program that will help us partner with communities to address a broader range of hazards. We will be actively involved in this process to achieve more permanent solutions for communities around the province and result in the most benefit for B.C."

McDougall Creek is an area with high-hazard flood potential that has experienced several recent adverse flooding events. These events have impacted residents and the local government and resulted in private property losses and increased emergency management costs for the Province. Specifically, since 2012, the Province has allocated more than $106,000 for recovery funding for families and the district.

"Flooding from McDougall Creek has been an ongoing issue for our community for a number of years, impacting local families and resulting in costs to the local government," said West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater. "I am pleased to see the Province commit to working with us on with a permanent solution that will protect both our community and the creek habitat."

McDougall Creek is fish-bearing, so the appropriate permits are required to do in-stream works. The primary flood risk for the 2013 freshet has now passed, and work in McDougall Creek will likely need to take place in the fall due to the fisheries window, which is when water levels are typically at their lowest.

Quick Facts:

• Staff from Emergency Management BC and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will work with the district to confirm that the proposed works provide adequate flood protection. As a significant amount of engineering has already taken place, there is an opportunity to expedite the project.

• The FPP was established in 2007. The Province has committed $100 million over 10 years to address community flood threats across B.C.

• In partnerships with other governments through the FPP program, over $127 million has already been committed for 138 flood-protection projects throughout the province since 2007.

Learn More:

For more information on flooding, visit: www.embc.gov.bc.ca/em/floods/index.html

(flickr.com)

Contacts:

Sam Oliphant
Office of the Premier
250 952-7252

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961