Cross-border plans for Nooksack River flood prevention coming soon, B.C. officials say

Passersby surround a car whose driver went past a barricade and into the flooded Nooksack River on Nov. 16, 2021, in Ferndale, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Details on a cross-border plan to mitigate flooding risk from the Nooksack River in Washington state are expected to be released this spring, but it's unclear when the project might actually be completed.

"High-level discussions" on the transboundary initiative between B.C. and Washington have been going on for months, and stakeholder engagement is set to begin in the coming weeks, according to a joint statement from the offices of Premier John Horgan and Governor Jay Inslee.

"Our work will bring together the necessary resources and the relevant experts to help identify, evaluate and advance solutions so that all adjacent communities are better prepared for the inevitable impacts of extreme weather caused by climate change," Horgan said.

The historic storms that wreaked havoc on British Columbia last November sent the Nooksack surging south of the border, causing the river to overflow its banks and drain north into the Fraser River.

The results were catastrophic, forcing the evacuation of more than 14,000 B.C. residents and causing "billions of dollars" worth of damage in the province, according to officials. Some 500 people in Whatcom County were displaced as well.

Apart from consultations with experts and local governments, including First Nations, the next steps of the cross-border Nooksack project will involve identifying funding sources. Officials have not speculated on when the actual flooding prevention work could begin, or be finished.

CTV News has reached out to Horgan's office for more information on a possible timeline.