Can the answer to future flooding be found in resurrecting an ancient lake?

Vancouver-South Coast Flooding is pictured in Sumas Prairie West in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Dec., 12, 2025. Before the 1920s, the Sumas prairies were covered by a lake and now some researchers are renewing their calls to bring part of the ancient Sumas Lake back to life.(Ben Nelms/CBC) Kwilosintun (Murray Ned), a member of the Semá:th First Nation, stands near the Sumas River.(Camille Vernet/Radio-Canada) A map from 1876 showing Sumas Lake in Abbotsford, B.C.(B.C. Department of Lands and Works) Tara Martin, a professor at the University of British Columbia, has been interested in the return of Sumas Lake.(Camille Vernet) Can the answer to future flooding be found in resurrecting an ancient lake? Before the 1920s, the Sumas prairies were covered by a lake Following the recent floods in Abbotsford and on the territory of the Semá:th (Sumas) First Nation in British Columbia, some researchers are renewing their calls to bring part of the ancient Sumas Lake back to life. The idea could mitigate the growing risk of flooding in the region. However, the restoration of floodplains raises significant economic, political, and social implications. Under heavy rain, Kwilosintun (Murray Ned), a member of the Semá:th First Nation, whose ancestral territory is located in the Abbotsford region of British Columbia, walks along the last vestige of an ancient lake. "This is the Sumas River. Pretty much what's left of the remnant of the Sumas Lake," says Kwilosintun, executive director of the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance. Recurring floods In mid-December, flooding hit the region, surfacing memories of the catastrophe four years ago. In 2021, waters submerged roads, farms, and homes, causing more than $450 million in insurable property damage in British Columbia. In Abbotsford, the deluge submerged many farms. But it also revealed a glimpse of the area’s past. "It was both a bit tragic in terms of, chaos the water was creating for the people. But for me, I was able to go and kind of harmonize, take a look at what our ancestors would have seen, and maybe embrace it for a little while," says Kwilosintun. An ancient lake Before the 1920s, the Sumas prairies were covered by a lake. A floodplain whose area varied from 3,600 hectares to more than 10,000 hectares, the equivalent of nearly 20,000 football stadiums. To increase farmland space, local authorities drained the lake. The project subsequently profoundly altered the environment and displaced the Semá:th. "It meant everything to us. So when they drained it, essentially we didn't have the resources to sustain ourselves after that," explains Kwilosintun. Rethinking climate change adaptation As climate change drives flood risk in the Fraser Valley, Kwilosintun believes that remembering what this territory once was could be one solution to flooding. "I think mankind has to figure out a way to harmonize versus trying to challenge Mother Nature, building bigger dikes and larger pump stations all the time," Kwilosintun said. Kwilosintun and Tara Martin, a professor from the University of British Columbia, published a study in 2024 examining the feasibility...

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