Case study: Restoring nature, reducing flood risks
An award-winning project in B.C.’s Comox Valley is using nature-based solutions to adapt to climate change impacts
CLIMATE ADAPTATION
Winner of an FCM Sustainable Communities Award 2024 in the climate adaptation category
Summary
As part of ongoing efforts to adapt to the intensifying impacts of coastal flooding, the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is redeveloping Dyke Road Park by removing failing hard infrastructure and invasive plants in favour of native species and visitor amenities with minimal impact on the surrounding environment, all with input and support from the K’ómoks First Nation. This nature-based solution project is a 2024 Sustainable Communities Awards winner in the climate adaptation category due to its efforts in making the shoreline more resilient to flooding and boosting biodiversity while improving user experience and showcasing Green Shores principles.
Background
The CVRD, on the east coast of Vancouver Island, encompasses the communities of Comox, Courtenay and Cumberland as well as Indigenous land of the K’ómoks First Nation.
Land within the CVRD is highly susceptible to flooding and erosion from extreme rainfall events, high tides, storm surges and rising sea levels. Flood hazard mapping developed in 2021 identified areas at particular risk including Comox Road, which connects Comox, Courtenay and the K’ómoks First Nation and has experienced flooding in the past. This area includes Dyke Road Park, which is located between Comox Road and the K’ómoks Estuary.
The CVRD has been a member since 2017 of the Stewardship Centre of BC’s Green Shores Local Government Working Group, which promotes nature-based solutions for better shoreline management.
The challenge
Dyke Road Park and its environs were identified as a high-risk area for flooding that would benefit from key adaptation measures. Before getting started, CVRD identified other challenges that would need to be addressed as well.
Environmental:
- The park’s concrete bird-watching platform was acting as a hardened shoreline. This type of infrastructure diverts wave energy and disrupts natural processes, which can cause erosion.
- As an estuary site with connections to both a river and the ocean, the area is important for biodiversity. CVRD recognized the potential to host improved habitat for a variety of plants and wildlife, including salmon, as well as to showcase Green Shores principles as a demonstration site.
Social:
- The K’ómoks estuary is a culturally significant and sacred place to the K’ómoks First Nation.
- Dyke Road Park was already on the list for upgrades to make it safer and more enjoyable for the community: the bird-watching platform’s foundation was beginning to crack, and the CVRD wanted to improve parking and lessen road noise.
The approach
Elements of the project include:
- removing invasive plants and planting native species such as sedge meadows
- creating a new tidal channel.
- removing the bird-watching platform and its concrete foundation.
- installing infrastructure such as elevated boardwalks and signage to improve the visitor experience.
- implementing a design aimed at resilience to projected flood levels and events up to the year 2100.
The project’s technical advisory committee includes subject matter experts and representatives from a number of land use authorities. All participants contributed toward the preliminary design concepts, final schematic design and implementation plan. For example, the K’ómoks Guardian Watchmen, a group of First Nations environmental stewards, provided guidance on archeologically sensitive areas and ensured habitat restoration was a key objective in park design and implementation. They are also participating in invasive species removal, rare plant salvage and project monitoring.
“Making time for meaningful relationships has been a huge part of making the vision cohesive.”
– Robyn Holme, Manager of Long Range Planning and Sustainability, CVRD
This nature-based solution incorporates Green Shores principles such as life-cycle thinking, a whole-system approach, increasing public access and understanding the site’s ecology, geomorphology and coastal processes. Green Shores is a scoring system that awards points based on how many goals are met. The CVRD is aiming for Gold certification by achieving as many targets as possible, and intends for the site to help educate the public on the benefits of the Green Shores approach and encourage owners of coastal homes to implement Green Shores principles on their own properties.
Expected results
The project is still in progress and on track to be completed in 2025. Expected results include:
Environmental:
- Restoring natural ecological processes and critical habitat for salmon and other species, thereby boosting both biodiversity and flood resilience and reducing erosion.
- Reducing human impact on natural areas thanks to boardwalks and other directional infrastructure.
Economic:
- Lowering future costs due to flooding of Comox Road and its vicinity.
“This project really helps people understand what flood resilience can look like.”
– Robyn Holme, Manager of Long Range Planning and Sustainability, CVRD
Social:
- A public education opportunity that uses signage to highlight the area’s Indigenous culture, history and ecology and showcase how nature-based solutions can protect communities from flooding.
- An improved park experience for users, including less road noise, better accessibility and new viewing platforms.
Lessons learned
An early approach to internal coordination at the CVRD turned out to be a win-win, as they were able to time work on the park with planned road closures due to a sewer conveyance project that was already going to prevent public access to the park for more than a year. Park staff scheduled landscaping work so that new plants will have a full year to establish before public access is restored.
Involving multiple partners increased scope and resulted in a much more complex project. This turned out to be a benefit as the added scope improved overall impact and partners were able to apply for a variety of funding opportunities, which helped to cover the higher costs, though the increased scope also required a solid understanding of roles and responsibilities to keep things moving. The collaborative approach also helped to strengthen relationships between partners and contribute toward a coordinated approach to a number of restoration projects in the estuary.
Next steps
Construction is still in progress, with upcoming steps including boardwalk installation and parking improvements and reopening planned for late 2025. The team is working on a project record that will serve as a road map for other communities wanting to undertake similar endeavours.
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