Overview
The C-EDR 129 Setback Dike will play a critical role in safeguarding Merritt from future flood events.
In November 2021, the City of Merritt experienced a catastrophic flooding event that devastated homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
The Coldwater River overflowed its banks, leading to the complete evacuation of the city and widespread damage.
Over 300 homes were deemed uninhabitable, and essential services, including the wastewater treatment plant, were severely impacted. The flooding caused significant economic and social disruption, displacing residents and straining emergency response resources.
Since then, the City has undertaken extensive flood mitigation planning to reduce future risks and enhance community resilience.
Considerations must be based on key factors, including the need for climate resilience, strong support from local First Nations, formal endorsements from the Deputy Inspector of Dikes (DIOD), and long-term resiliency.
Funding
New funding from the Province will allow the City of Merritt to rebuild two damaged dikes to higher standards to better protect against flooding and keep people safe.
The Province is providing the City of Merritt with $60 million to relocate and rebuild two critical dikes, on both banks of the Coldwater River, that were damaged during the flooding of November 2021.
This funding will allow the City of Merritt to reconstruct the dikes to modern standards and acquire land to build the dikes in new locations.
Read the full press release from the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness here.
Status
Current
Notes
Dike length: 1.56km
Construction start: TBA
Dike 129/130 Project FAQs
What is the Dike 129 / 130 Program?
The Dike 129 / 130 Program is a key component in Merritt’s comprehensive Flood Mitigation Plan, which identifies multiple dike projects aimed at reducing flood risk throughout the community.
Specifically, the Dike 129 / 130 Program focuses on constructing and upgrading dikes along critical sections of the Coldwater River to enhance flood protection and improve the overall resilience and safety of Merritt.
Why is this program necessary?
The City of Merritt had protective diking structures prior to the 2021 Atmospheric River Event (ARE) but they were destroyed during the event. These structures were built to withstand up to 130 cubic meters per second of water.
The 2021 ARE saw volumes between 320 and 400 cubic meters per second. Current engineering predicts a new 1-in-200-year flood of 490 cubic meters per second, which puts 1,144 additional houses in the updated flood zone.
New construction must be certified to a 1-in-200-year standard, so Merritt was not able to build back the pre-existing dike and would need to build new structures to accommodate 280% more water. Engineering this sort of upgrade and finding land to put the new diking on is a significant and unique challenge, and Merritt has been working closely with the Province of BC since the 2021 ARE to solve this challenge.
This project will dramatically lower the risk of future flooding in Merritt, allow protection of homes and critical infrastructure, provide resident financial and personal security, and allow Merritt to truly move on from the devastating 2021 flood.
Where will the new dikes be located?
The structures funded under this announcement run from the newly constructed Middlesboro Bridge down to the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater Rivers.
These structures will be significantly more resilient than the prior diking and will also be constructed in a more ecologically sensitive manner. Priority has been given to building setback dikes, which is possible in approximately 70% of the 2.9km of diking. Therefore, the river will only touch the diking structures during periods of high water.
During much of the year, this project will provide ‘room for the river’. This project will also increase riverside habitat, public recreation space, and decrease maintenance costs compared to a typical waterside dike.
Specific diking footprints will be updated as the project progresses into detailed engineering, and flood.merritt.ca will always have the most up-to-date information on this project.
Does this solve all of Merritt’s diking needs?
This announcement covers a large portion of the diking system, but not all of it. The council-adopted 2022 Flood Mitigation Plan contains 4.9km of diking and 390 meters of bank stabilization on the Coldwater River.
This announcement allows the building of 2.9km (60%) of the system. Importantly, this section of diking is anticipated to be the most complex to build and provides significant city protection from future Coldwater River flooding.
An additional 0.46km (10%) of the diking has already been funded by other Provincial funding sources.
This leaves a further 1.5km (30%) of diking along the Coldwater that is not yet funded. The City will continue to work with Provincial sources but will especially be looking towards the Federal Government for assistance on the remaining components of the diking system.
What is the cost of this program and what does it include?
The $60 million announcement includes the costs of detailed engineering, land acquisition, environmental and archeological studies, dike construction, and environmental offsetting costs.
Who is funding this program? Is this Provincial funding or Federal funding?
This funding is provided by the Government of British Columbia, through the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. Please refer to the associated Press Release located here.
This $60 million is being provided by the Province of BC to Merritt. While the federal government promised aid in rebuilding and mitigation during the 2021 event, federal funding has been absent since that time.
Direct federal contribution has been limited to $2.3 million for the STUWI(x) project. The City of Merritt applied for the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, but was rejected from this program, and no other direct federal funds have been received.
How long will this program take?
The City of Merritt is thankful to have completed the vital Public Works diking project in fall 2024 and is using the information gathered from that project to inform the larger Dike 129 and Dike 130 Program.
Based on this experience the initial estimated timeline for completion is 4 to 6 years, but this may change as design and construction planning progress. While still in early stages, the project has completed key studies, including conceptual work, costing, and environmental assessments. It now moves into the construction planning phase, with timelines to be released as work advances.
One key challenge is the short allowable work window on the Coldwater River, which is limited to just 11 days per year. Progression and completion of this project will depend on permitting authorities granting permission to work outside this window. Additionally, very few diking projects have been completed in BC over the past five years, creating uncertainty in planning timelines.
For updates, follow along on our Social Media Presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and on our website: flood.merritt.ca
When will construction begin?
The Flood Mitigation Team is responsible for moving the conceptual plan into a construction plan, and then constructing the diking funded in this announcement. This requires detailed engineering and permitting from multiple government bodies that takes from 4-8 months to approve. In addition, the allowable work window on the Coldwater is only 11 days during the summer unless the regulators choose to extend this window.
Construction start and timeline will mostly depend on what is permissible by the regulatory bodies.
As the detailed construction planning and engineering progresses, more timeline details will be made available. For updates, follow along on our Social Media Presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and on our website: flood.merritt.ca
How will Indigenous communities be involved?
The City of Merritt Flood Mitigation Team, together with our surrounding Indigenous partners, have developed a BC-leading Indigenous Engagement Plan (IEP), with a full time Indigenous Engagement Manager who is responsible for implementing this plan.
This IEP is available in its entirety at flood.merritt.ca
Will property owners be affected?
This diking system will be built as a setback dike, which will require additional land along the Coldwater River. Part of the funding for the project includes full and partial acquisitions for certain properties along the river.
These property acquisitions have been costed and planned by a third party, and all discussions and purchases will be conducted by a third party, not directly by City of Merritt staff.
Contact with potentially affected landowners will occur in 2 stages.
- Spring 2025 - A letter will be sent out to all potentially affected landowners advising of the potential impacts. Engineering and acquisition staff may be available at this point, but as the final footprint is not set, financial compensation information will not be provided.
- Fall 2025 – The third-party property acquisition team will contact the landowner to discuss details of the acquisition as the final footprint becomes clearer. All inquiries and discussions will be held at arms-length from the City. This third-party team will ensure compensation occurs in a fair and timely manner and is in accordance with all applicable laws and standards.
Additionally, as this is a large construction project, many properties and streets will experience temporary construction disruption. This is anticipated to be the largest project in the history of Merritt, so some patience with construction crews and noise will be needed by us all.
If you have any questions regarding how your property may be directly affected by the Dike 129/130 Project, please email floodmitigation@merritt.ca, include your name, address and questions.
If my property is part of the acquisition, how much will I get?
The final dike footprint will need to be confirmed through a multi-month engineering process, and only after this point will the land acquisition footprint be finalized. Until that time, compensation offers will not be available.
As per the previous question, potentially affected landowners will be notified shortly, and will be advised of next steps and timelines for valuation and offers on properties.
How can residents support the program?
Residents can support by:
- Attending public engagement sessions
- Staying informed and sharing project updates
Is this increased work going to make housing even more challenging in Merritt?
This project is anticipated to significantly alleviate housing challenges within the City of Merritt. Prior to the 2021 event, there were 130 houses in the anticipated floodplain. Revised engineering after the event indicated 1,274 were in the new floodplain, meaning densifying, building, permitting, and all housing activities are extremely difficult in that area.
While the ideal plan would be to re-locate all these houses, this is over 35% of the housing stock in Merritt and in addition to the billions of dollars in cost, Merritt does not have developable land to move people to.
Having no flood protections in that area at all meant stagnating neighborhoods and a lack of housing investment. This protective diking will give homeowners the security and confidence to rebuild homes and will help preserve the very limited building area available for Merritt housing.
Who will own and maintain these new dikes?
The City of Merritt is a registered diking authority, and under Provincial law the city must take ownership of these dikes and maintain them to standards specified in the Dike Management Act.
Reducing maintenance costs was one of the key considerations in the 2022 Flood Mitigation Plan, and the specific dike design has been done to ensure maintenance requirements are lower than traditional diking.
What will be the elevation of these new dikes?
The new diking elevation will vary depending on the location due to the slope of the river and the amount of setback but will be between 0.3m and 1.8m meters higher than the previous diking.
How will rainwater and snowmelt get into the river if there are dikes in the way?
The 2022 Flood Mitigation Plan specifies 2 pump stations to ensure stormwater is conveyed appropriately.
The first and largest of these is located near the Middlesborough Bridge and is already funded by the Government of BC.
The second pump station is located near the end of Canford Avenue, and City staff continue to look for funding for this station.
Will the dikes increase risks to downstream property owners?
Eliminating downstream risk transference was a key consideration in the conceptual plan. The City of Merritt has worked extremely hard to make a flow velocity reduction area before water leaves the City.
This is the STUWI(x) project, which is funded and underway.
The STUWI(x) project involves naturalizing 5 hectares of land at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater Rivers, ensuring that Merritt diking will not cause increased velocity and flood risk downstream.
What’s happening with Princeton, are they getting support?
The City of Merritt recognizes that each community's flood recovery journey is unique.
While we are committed to supporting regional recovery efforts, we are not able to speak to the specific progress or circumstances of other communities.
I understand you are on top of getting funding for this section of dike, and it is likely to be funded soon. But, is there any specific engineering reason for funding and constructing sections 129 and 130 before the Middlesboro section?
No specific engineering reason.
The path to funding the Dike 129/130 project is different than the C-EPA Middlesboro Phase 1.
Dike 129/130 were existing dikes prior to the flood, and this is actually a ‘rebuilding’ project, although the need to build higher and wider means they will look much different.
The C-EPA Middlesboro P1 section is a brand new dike, and senior government funding opportunities for projects like this are extremely competitive and far more difficult to find and successfully win.
Was it more of a priority to get funding for dikes 129 and 130 over the Middlesboro and Houston sections? If so, what was the reason for that?
The 2022 Flood Mitigation Plan calls for approximately 5km’s of diking work, and several hundred meters of bank protection.
This plan is intended to work as a system, and will only provide full protection when it is 100% complete.
The City of Merritt applied for federal and provincial funding sources for the entire project, but no senior government supported and funded the entire system at once. Additionally, the City of Merritt is not in a financial position to execute this plan alone. Therefore, the Flood Mitigation Team has been working to execute the entire plan in smaller sections, based on current grants and funding sources.
So the priority at this point has been based on whether the project could be funded by senior government.
If another rare flood event were to happen, would the areas neighboured by the unbuilt Middlesboro dike be subject to flooding, or would dikes 129 and 130 protect the entire river in some way?
The protection from Dike 129 & 130 will only serve as protection in that area of the City.
Dike 129 & 130 are part of the 2022 FMP operates as a system, and the Team is working hard to find funding to achieve 100% protection.
Until full completion of the FMP, all other exposed areas would have to be protected by the emergency response capabilities of the City and EMCR. This would include emergency flood protection measures like sandbagging, gabion baskets, and other temporary emergency flood protection methods.
There's a sharp bend at one point in the Middlesboro section of dike on the river. Does that present increased danger of flooding?
The shape of the 5km of overall diking was designed by hydrological engineers and approved by council in the 2022 Flood Mitigation Plan.
As individual sections of dike are funded and built, the hydrological modelling is updated and more detailed engineering is completed.
This may result in changes to the final design of the dike compared to the initial conceptual model, if they are recommended and endorsed by the Engineer-of-Record for the project.
It’s important to note that bends and structure in the river serve to decrease the velocity of the river, lessening the destructive power downstream.
This trade-off between deceleration and efficiently moving water through is modelled and signed off by the Engineer of Record for the diking system.
Who do I talk to if I have a suggestion, question, or feedback?
The Merritt Flood Mitigation Team can be reached at floodmitigation@merritt.ca, or at flood.merritt.ca/contact-us
This temporary team provides experienced assistance and capacity augmentation to the City of Merritt permanent staff, leadership, and council.
As a community-led effort, the Flood Mitigation Department still reports to CAO and Mayor/Council, so typical channels of communication through city staff and elected officials is also available.
Image Gallery
