Canada: Federal Minister Pushes for Fraser River Dredging

The Fraser River dredging program needs to be a priority in order to mitigate flooding, stated Federal Minister James Moore.

According to Moore, economic activity upstream causes sediment to build up in the Fraser river, resulting in flooding in Richmond, Delta, Port Coquilam and Surrey as the riverbed becomes elevated.

He stated that the Federal Government did provide a one-time fund in a previous budget to dredge the river, but he didn’t say whether the upcoming 2013 budget would set aside any money, reports cknw.com.

“There does for sure need to be a permanent policy approach to it. Frankly, I don’t know what the right answer is. We’re talking with the province of British Columbia about how best to do it,” said Moore.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, January 28, 2013