The RV Park we’ve been staying in is directly on the Harrison River in the Fraser Valley of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Over the past couple of weeks, the water in the Harrison & Fraser Rivers has risen to its highest level in 40 years and many area campgrounds are partially or completely submerged. There have been floods like this before, but not for quite some time.
We drove to several campgrounds today, including Matsqui Trail Regional Park on the Fraser River in the metro Vancouver region between Abbotsford & Mission, and Kilby Park campground at the Kilby Historic site in Harrison Mills. We also paddled our canoe through the parking lot of our own park, also in Harrison Mills. We tried to visit one other nearby park, but all the RVs have been evacuated and the gate is locked.
There are reports of flooding in many parts of the BC Lower Mainland, including here in the Fraser Valley. Chilliwack and other areas are affected by the Fraser River, and we’re of course affected by the flooding on the Harrison River.
Luckily for us, our RV park is on a hill and we’re at the top of it. Only the very lowest-lying sites have been directly affected, where you can canoe from the Harrison River right up the boat ramp and into the parking lot, which we did. We’re hoping for fewer rainy days and abating of flood waters soon. Lower temperatures would help as well, slowing the snowmelt in the surrounding Coast Mountains.