Over the winter months, rain always seems to be in the forecast here on the North Shore.
Our long, grey winters are a paradox: they provide us with the high level snowpack for our summer drinking water supply, and also the lush, healthy rainforest ecosystems that pump oxygen into the air.
The rain keeps district staff busy, working on projects you may not even notice, to keep our creeks, ravines, and culverts functioning smoothly.
This winter, we got more than our fair share of rainy days.
While we have had rainier months on record, January in Deep Cove saw 487 millimetres of rainfall compared with a 304 mm average. This continues to be a good test for our infrastructure upgrades, and so far we are doing well!
Back in 2014, heavy rain washed rocks and forest debris down local creeks, blocking our infrastructure, and resulting in flooding and damages. In response, we developed a Response and Recovery Plan which included projects on Kilmer, Thames, and Taylor creeks.
Seven of the 10 projects included in our plan were completed less than a year later, benefiting from additional funding from the provincial and federal governments. None of these sites have flooded since, despite similarly heavy rains.
In 2017, we completed the Gallant Creek Avulsion Berm project on Indian River Drive, built to prevent flooding into Deep Cove.
You may soon notice additional work at sites on Gallant, Mission and Thain creeks – several of the areas slated for upgrades in 2018. In total, we have assessed 35 creeks across the district for the risk of debris flows and floods, identifying priority locations for culverts, basins, and barriers. We have made significant progress on this multi-year project.
There is a trend toward increasing rainfall intensity on our North Shore due to climate change.
The district’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, adopted by council in June 2017 is helping us prepare for the coming changes.
We have also made adjustments to our storm water management designs, so that new and refurbished infrastructure in the District can accommodate these heavier rainfalls.
There are also things that both residents and business owners can do to help deal with heavy rain, including checking the storm drains near their properties and clearing any leaves and debris away to ensure adequate drainage is maintained.
We also like to remind residents to clear their gutters and have their perimeter drainage regularly inspected to ensure it’s functioning properly.
To learn more about how we manage extreme weather and how to prepare your home, visit dnv.org/extreme-weather.
If you do find yourself needing to report a public works emergency, you can always call us at our after-hours line at 604-990-3666. ■
