Sumas Prairie

Nooksack River, source of B.C. and Washington flooding fears, to get new plan

Nooksack River, source of B.C. and Washington flooding fears, to get new plan

Leaders from B.C. and Washington state say they have reached an agreement to work together on redeveloping a flooding prevention plan and response for the Nooksack River. Flooding in southern B.C. and northern Washington in November displaced an estimated 500 people south of the border and about 14,000 were forced to flee their homes on the Canadian side. Rising water levels in the Nooksack contributed to flooding on the Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford and resulted in billions of dollars of damage to the province’s agriculture industry. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says in a release that flooding will continue to worsen in the face of population growth, development and climate change, and a long-term approach on both sides of the border is needed.

Freezing weather compounds challenges for B.C. farmers dealing with flood aftermath

Freezing weather compounds challenges for B.C. farmers dealing with flood aftermath

Dave Martens is working on rebuilding his poultry farm and his home, which he hasn't been able to live in since the Sumas Prairie region east of Abbotsford, B.C., was hit by floods triggered by historic rainfall in November. "Currently I'm at the point of trying to dry things out still," said Martens of the two farm houses he owns, one of which he lives in. "You hear people talk about people being back in their homes and things like that. That might be true for some, but not the majority."

Farmer devastated over loss of crop says dream of making Abbotsford the 'saffron capital' of B.C. persists

Farmer devastated over loss of crop says dream of making Abbotsford the 'saffron capital' of B.C. persists

For Avtar Dhillon, living in the Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford meant cultivating his dream to farm the world's most expensive spice in British Columbia. Now his crop of about 250,000 saffron bulbs lies still under several feet of muddied water. The farmer, who recently said he was B.C.'s first to farm saffron on a large commercial scale, says his farm has suffered catastrophic damage due to flooding in the Fraser Valley. "I'm very upset about [the] saffron ... I take six years to get to this point ... and then Monday just lost everything." For Dhillon, who is also a blueberry farmer, it took several years of experimenting with different methods of growing saffron before finding one that worked.

Before-and-after satellite images show flood devastation in B.C.'s Sumas Prairie

Before-and-after satellite images show flood devastation in B.C.'s Sumas Prairie

Dramatic satellite images show the extent of flood damage in B.C.'s Sumas Prairie following last weekend's historic rainfall. The low-lying rural area, east of Abbotsford's town centre, is mostly farmland and was created by the draining of Sumas Lake in the 1920s. Last week the area suffered extensive flooding as water gushed in from the Nooksack River from neighbouring Washington state, forcing evacuations and killing livestock.

Helicopters drop drinking water at flooded B.C. farms

Helicopters drop drinking water at flooded B.C. farms

Karl Meier has spent days battling to save his property and dairy cattle from flooding in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, but he says the biggest issue right now is with local law enforcement. "It was bad enough we had to fight the water, but now we've got to fight someone against what we're trying to do," said Meier. Meier owns U & D Meier Dairy in the Sumas Prairie region of Abbotsford, about 100 kilometres east of Vancouver. The area is under an evacuation order because of flooding in the nearby Sumas River. Police-enforced roadblocks have been set up around the area to prevent people from coming or going. Meier said this is making it difficult for people to bring in supplies to the farmers who have chosen to stay to protect their business and their animals.

Flooding in B.C. ‘testing the resilience’ of dairy farmers, says association

Flooding in B.C. ‘testing the resilience’ of dairy farmers, says association

Farmers in southern British Columbia are coming together to save livestock as parts of the Fraser Valley remain under water from devastating flooding, says a member of the association that represents the province’s dairy farmers. Holger Schwichtenberg, chair of the board for the BC Dairy Association, said he was not yet sure how many farmers were working to move their milking cows, but in such situations, they would reach out for help to get their animals off site.