Fraser Valley – Climate Adaptive Drainage Management Forum [fv06]
| Region | Fraser Valley |
| Status | completed in 2018 |
| Project Lead | BC Blueberry Council |
| Funding Partners | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, BC Ministry of Agriculture |
Climate change is anticipated to result in an overall increase in annual precipitation with much of this falling as rain (and less as snow) during the winter, spring and autumn. Rain will also be concentrated in more frequent and intense precipitation events, resulting in greater challenges with managing runoff (both onto and off) the predominantly low-lying agricultural land base. Within this context, there is a need to integrate climate change considerations into decisions regarding regional and municipal drainage management, and agricultural drainage standards and practices.
The Fraser Valley – Enhanced Collaboration for Agricultural Drainage & Ditch Management project, completed in spring of 2017, identified a significant gap related to planning for drainage systems that are adapted for a changing climate. In response, the Fraser Valley Climate Adaptive Drainage Management Forum project was initiated to: generate and share the best available precipitation projections for the Fraser Valley; research collaborative climate adaptive drainage management strategies adopted in comparable settings; and host a Forum between producers, local government and agency staff, researchers and agricultural association representatives to deliberate preferred drainage management strategies to address local runoff and drainage challenges.