This September, UBC will conduct some work on the forebay north of the stormwater retention pond behind EME. This will include removing some of the vegetation and adding infrastructure to support a more frequent maintenance cycle in this area.
As the effects of climate change become more intense, the campus is more prone to flash floods. Moving to an annual maintenance cycle for the forebay will prevent buildup of vegetation and sediment that increases this risk.
UBC will work with a team of environmental consultants to conduct the work and protect the many birds, reptiles and amphibians that live in and around the pond while the work takes place. Once completed, this work will reduce the risk of harmful encounters with wildlife during future maintenance cycles, while still allowing wildlife—as well as the campus community—to enjoy the habitat offered by the stormwater retention pond.
While the project takes place, the trail between the pond and the forebay will be closed. Community members may see equipment in the area as well as on the walking path between the Gathering Circle and Portable V.
Planning for our changing climate
This work is part of a larger project aimed at making the campus more resilient to the hazards of a changing climate. In 2022, a group that included representatives from Campus Operations and Risk Management, Campus Planning, IT Services, Student Housing and Community Services, the VP Research and Innovation office, and faculty representatives undertook a study to identify the top risks associated with climate change.
That study resulted in a comprehensive list of potential risks to teaching and research continuity, including wildfire and flooding. Now, UBC is developing a resiliency plan to proactively mitigate those risks, starting with the most significant risks.
Though the development of the resiliency plan is still underway, some key projects have already been identified that will have a high impact. The forebay project will reduce the impact of potential flash floods by proactively improving the infrastructure in one of the campus’s most flood-prone areas, and is one of many projects the campus hopes to undertake to improve our resiliency in a warming world.