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Sumas Lake, the Nooksack River, and the historic roots of a 21st Century disaster
Sumas Lake once covered much of the Fraser Valley's fertile farmland. This is the story of how it disappeared, how it could re-appear, and some of the challenges ahead.
Fraser Valley Current staff
November 17, 2021
Photo by: The Reach Gallery Archives/Image:P188
By Tyler Olsen and Grace Kennedy
To understand the flood crisis currently gripping the Sumas Prairie area in eastern Abbotsford, you have to understand the history of the area, and the roles played by the Nooksack River and what was once Sumas Lake. You need to know why Barrowtown Pump Station exists. And you need to know why, if it fails (and maybe even if it doesn’t), the lake will return.
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