Hatzic Island facts for kids

Hatzic Island is a cool island in the middle of Hatzic Lake. This lake is a special type called an oxbow lake, which means it used to be part of the Fraser River. You can find Hatzic Island on the east side of Mission, in British Columbia, Canada.

Exploring Hatzic Island

Hatzic Island is shaped like a long, pointed oval. It's about 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) long from north to south. At its widest point, it's just over 600 meters (0.4 miles) across. The island sits just a little bit above sea level.

To get to Hatzic Island, you use Shook Street. This street connects to BC Highway 7. Highway 7 crosses the southern part of Hatzic Lake. The Canadian Pacific Railway also runs nearby.

Hatzic Island is not a separate town. It's part of a bigger area called Fraser Valley Regional District Electoral Area "G". Lots of people live on Hatzic Island. It has homes, small farms, and places for camping. There are also mobile home parks, like the Everglades resort. This resort has almost 400 spots on 30 acres of land.

There are no schools right on Hatzic Island. Kids living here usually go to schools in nearby Hatzic and Dewdney, British Columbia.

Dealing with Flooding

Because Hatzic Island is low, it can be at risk from rising water levels and floods from the Fraser River. Every spring, the Fraser River has a big rush of water called a freshet. Also, heavy winter rains can cause water to flow out of Hatzic Valley.

To protect the island, there are special structures. These include dykes (walls), gates, and pump stations. These pumps help move water from Hatzic Lake into the Fraser River.

The Great Flood of 1948

The biggest flood recorded on Hatzic Island was in 1948. It was called the "Great Flood." The dykes broke, and over 13,000 acres of land near the Fraser River flooded. This included a large area of Hatzic Prairie.

After the 1948 flood, a new pumping station was built in 1949. It could pump 8 cubic meters (about 2,100 gallons) of water per second. This was meant to be a temporary fix. However, new pumps weren't built until 2014.

Modern Flood Protection

In 2014, three new pumps were installed. Together, they can pump 14 cubic meters (about 3,700 gallons) of water per second. The older pumps are still kept as backups. These new pumps run on electricity. They are also designed to be safer for fish and more stable during earthquakes.

Experts are always studying how to prevent floods in the Lower Mainland area. The Fraser Basin Council is working on a big plan called the Lower Mainland Flood Management Strategy (LMFMS).

Future Flood Plans

The first part of this plan finished in 2016. It looked at different flood situations and how vulnerable areas were. It also checked the current flood protection systems. Maps from this study showed that if a big flood happened, the deepest water could be around Hatzic Lake. Some areas might see water rise three meters (about 10 feet) or more.

The second part of the LMFMS plan is still ongoing. It aims to create a long-term strategy for managing floods. This part of the plan is expected to be finished around late 2020 or early 2021.