Municipal Hall

June 22, 2012 / 4:30 PM

At noon today as part of a regular communications update, the BC River Forecast Centre has forecast the peak river level at the Mission Gauge for Saturday at 6.62 metres, Sunday at 6.66 metres and early Monday morning at 6.68 metres. Check the agency links on our website for updates throughout the weekend.

MAPLE RIDGE OVERALL

The District of Maple Ridge has activated the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to Level 1 and is closely monitoring conditions along the river, localized weather impacts and conducting daily dyke inspections. The EOC will be active and meeting daily until the river levels have receded.

The latest information from the BC River Forecast centre and Environment Canada can be found on our website through the 'Flood Watch on the Fraser' link. We will post updates on the District Facebook page @yourmapleridge and you can also follow us on Twitter @yourmapleridge. We will be using the hashtag #FraserMR for local updates.

The Operations Centre telephone lines will be open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Calls received after hours will be routed to appropriate staff members who are on-call. The Operations Centre phone number is 604-463-9581. Here's a list of specific works that are underway:

WHARF STREET

Homes along Wharf Street have been provided with information on Flood Preparedness. The District's Operations Centre and Engineering Department staff have been doing daily inspections and detailed measurements to refine Flood Planning mapping and inputs to the BC River Forecast Centre.

Based on the information provided by the BC River Forecast Centre, levels for the unprotected section of Wharf Street in the Hammond neighbourhood could peak 0.5 of a metre higher than residents saw at 6:00 am on Friday morning.

The residents in this area will be given an Evacuation Alert Package once the Fraser River level exceeds 6.5 meters at the Mission Gauge in accordance with the District of Maple Ridge Flood Plan.

KANAKA STREET (just north of the Lougheed Highway)

On the evening of Thursday, June 21, 2012, a meeting was held for residents whose homes front on Kanaka Street just north of Lougheed Highway. The District's Engineering Department and Operations Centre staff shared the latest information based on the BC River Forecast Centre's projections and local area weather forecasts. Based on the information provided, some residents have decided to make use of sandbags on their property, and District staff arranged for sand and sandbags to be dropped to their properties on the morning of Friday, June 22, 2012.

The Fraser River is expected to peak approximately half a metre higher than the water level that was visible in the area at 6:00 am this morning, however, the rainfall that is forecast to fall could add to the flow of the Kanaka River and the wetlands around these properties creating a localized reading higher than the forecast. This area will be monitored closely and area residents will be provided with additional information should conditions change.

OTHER AREAS

Information was distributed to residents in the areas surrounding Best Street, which is just east of the Maple Ridge Golf Course. Area residents were provided with a direct contact from the District's Engineering Department and the area will be monitored throughout the weekend.

Dyke patrols and measurements were taken along the Fraser River and Albion Dyke. Some property owners along the Fraser River were encouraged to move vehicles and other materials to higher ground. There is a significant amount of debris moving down the Fraser River, and property owners have been securing docks and boats due to the fast moving waters.

Preparedness information has been handed out to property owners along the Fraser River through to Mission. Businesses along the Fraser River have been moving materials to higher ground throughout the week to minimize the impact of the river flows on their operations and inventory.

The dock at the Haney Wharf remains open, and District staff will continue to monitor the river levels to determine if the area will be closed to the public.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The sandbag depot at Albion Landscaping will be open 24 hours a day until further notice. The depot is located at Albion Flats Landscape Supply, 23549 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge, Tel: 604-477-1971.

The District of Maple Ridge, on behalf of the Emergency responders and area residents, requests that people do not come into the foreshore area along the Fraser River unless you have specific business there.

Water levels on the Fraser River and tributaries are very high and water flows are fast. Exercise extreme caution if you are near the river. We also recommend that people stay off the Fraser River for recreation purposes. If you need to be on the river for work, please ensure that you are wearing appropriate safety equipment and use extreme caution.

For more information, please contact:

Fred Armstrong
 Manager Corporate Communications

 Tel: 604-467-7452
 Email: farmstrong@mapleridge.ca