Matsqui First Nation (MFN) in Abbotsford is calling for a broad study of flood management on Sumas Prairie, including the possibility of restoring Sumas Lake to its natural state.
In a press release issued Tuesday (July 30), the First Nation says the study should include regional and downstream effects.
"The study should include options that work in harmony with nature, allowing a substantial portion of Sumas Prairie to function as flood storage and reducing reliance on pumps and dikes," the release states.
MFN has developed and adopted a Fraser River and Tributaries Relationship Plan, which recognizes "the importance of water in nature and the need to avoid further damage caused by human activity," the release says.
But MFN says in the 100 years since since Xhotsa (Sumas Lake) was drained, there have been repeated floods in the "artificial prairie," each followed by building more dikes and pumps.
"The original decision to drain Sumas Lake was made without considering effects on fish, birds, other wildlife, downstream effects, or the First Nations people, who had lived on and near the lake for centuries. The terms 'ecology' and 'climate change' were unknown," MFN states.
The First Nation says a study should be conducted to explore Sumas water-management options and the potential effects.
The study should include the implications for ecosystems (including fish and wildlife), flood risk, and local and regional economies and communities, MFN says.
They says the costs of restoring all or a portion of Sumas Lake should be considered "in light of savings from reduced capital and operating expenses of diking and pumping, and the avoidance of upstream and downstream flood damage, including recurring flood compensation for Sumas Prairie farms, businesses, and residents."
Matsqui Chief Alice McKay said MFN was pleased to see the study Reclaiming the Xhotsa, which was released June 3 by Frontiers in Conservation Science.
The report stated that the cost of buying out properties in the lakebed and allowing the lake to return would be approximately $1 billion – about half the cost of the $2.3 billion projected by the city for its Sumas Prairie flood protection plan.
But the City of Abbotsford responded on June 20, saying the report “grossly underrepresented” the costs of returning Sumas Lake to its natural state and instead would amount to "billions of dollars."
McKay said other options for flood mitigation, besides dikes and pumps, should be considered for Sumas Prairie flood mitigation.
“Before we spend billions on more structures that have been unreliable for a century, we should investigate flood management options that might prove more cost-effective, respectful of nature and appropriate in a changing climate,” she said.
McKay said MFN calls on governments "to rethink their approach and develop a lasting, beneficial plan for the benefit of the ecosystem and its inhabitants."
RELATED: City of Abbotsford: Report 'misleading' on cost to restore Sumas Lake
