The City of Merritt could be spending a lot of money if it goes ahead with flood mitigation work that is recommended.
A study brought to council earlier this month says mitigating future flood risks from the Nicola River would cost the city just under $1.9 million dollars.
The report brought to council earlier this month also shows only $84,000 is needed in flood repairs from this year’s spring freshet.
City manager Shawn Boven says mitigation costs are up to municipalities to cover, but he notes the province has some funding available for flood planning which Merritt plans to apply for.
“We’ll certainly hope to put in an application for the February deadline to get some works planned, and then use that as supporting documentation for actual construction of mitigation works where possible.”
He says for flood repairs, meanwhile, the city can recover up to 80 per cent of costs from the province.
There were seven mitigation projects outlined, and Boven indicates none will happen right away.
“It’s hard to say if they would all be done, what we really need to do is a high-level study of the river in its entirety through town. This is looking at specific sites that will protect public infrastructure, this study isn’t a holistic view of the river in its entirety.”