The municipality is getting the ball rolling on a flood protection plan for the Tapley's neighbourhood.
Several options were presented to council at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, on Sept. 1, with Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden calling it "an apropos discussion given the deluge out there."
This new capital works project was sparked by the flooding events in December 2014, when the municipality triggered its Emergency Operation Centre after the River of Golden Dreams and Crabapple Creek spilled their banks. Despite sandbagging to protect the homes, at least one family had to evacuate and another home was damaged.
"Things were relatively well managed but there was potential for it to be quite a bit worse," said James Hallisey, manager of environmental projects at the meeting.
Given there had been flooding in this area in the past, he added: "It was definitely time to look at what can be done down there."
A hydrologist has proposed that the municipality raise the Valley Trail running alongside Crabapple Creek beside the Whistler Golf Course. The trail needs to be raised about one metre in the middle and it will act as a flood protection berm.
At the neighbouring Alta Creek (also known as the River of Golden Dreams) the municipality has developed three options: creating a flood bypass channel for 21 Mile Creek, which flows into Alta Creek; building a rock and earth flood control berm, an option that would include the removal of a swath of trees; or, re-grading vulnerable properties adjacent to the creek which would include filling in the low-lying areas.
Council agreed the creation of a flood bypass channel seems to make the most sense at this point in time, but the municipality is planning on taking the options to the community at an upcoming open house.
The work would include approvals from the department of fisheries and it is not set to move ahead until next year.
On Dec. 10, 2014, more than 70 mm of rain fell in one day — the most rainfall in a single day that year.
Since activating the EOC, the municipality has been reimbursed $18,000 for the extra work that was done over those three days, as well as $14,000 for repair work.
A further $33,000 was given to do the study.
The municipal open house is set to go ahead in two to three weeks time; details have yet to be confirmed.
