Public urged to stay away from provincial parks around Fraser Valley closed due to flood damage
Othello Tunnels, Cultus Lake among popular destinations closed as parks staff assess, clean up, repair
Severe flooding over the past month has forced B.C. Parks to close several of its popular destinations around the upper Fraser Valley.
So far, B.C. Parks has fully closed the Othello Tunnels and the surrounding Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park to ensure public safety, along with provincial parks at Cultus Lake, Chilliwack Lake, Skagit Valley and Sasquatch Park near Harrison Lake.
E.C. Manning Provincial Park, further east along Highway 3, hasn't been fully closed but officials say travel to the park is not recommended due to damaged trails and facilities.
"Anyone gaining access in a closed park ... may face enforcement actions," said B.C. Parks in a statement.
It warns that other parks in southwest B.C. might have even greater damage, but crews have not been able to assess them due to washed-out roads.
As for parks in the area that remain open, B.C. Parks is still urging caution.
"We're asking for the public to carefully consider the risk they're undertaking when they're visiting B.C.'s backcountry right now and take extra precautions," said Robert Wilson, the department's area supervisor for the South Coast Region.
Othello Tunnels, Cultus Lake badly hit
Wilson says the damage to the Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park and the Othello Tunnels is widespread.
During one of the flooding events, he says the Coquihalla River rose and filled the first two former railway tunnels, wiping out the pedestrian pathways.
As well, many of the area's rockfall protection measures, such as netting and protective walls, were damaged during the flood.
B.C. Parks says it is unclear how long it will take for the park to be fixed and reopened.
Across the Fraser Valley, Wilson says rivers and streams broke their banks and moved large amounts soil and rock.
At Cultus Lake Provincial Park, floodwaters pushed 10,000 cubic metres of gravel onto the Maple Bay day-use area, covering up picnic tables and overtaking garbage cans.
"It's going to take us quite a bit of work to clean it up," said Wilson, adding that contractors and staff are already busy working to fix damaged structures and remediate the parks.
Rebuilding with climate change in mind
Given the recent weather conditions, Wilson says it's difficult to ignore the impacts of climate change.
He says the province's preliminary strategic climate risk assessment from 2019 concluded that climate change poses a risk to B.C. Parks infrastructure.
"We really want to ensure that new projects in B.C. parks and our recovery efforts take into account where and how to build to reduce the impacts," said Wilson.